Kick Off, Dobuy among winners at third Gulf Film Festival

The annual Gulf Film Festival, running April 8-14, screened 194 films from 41 countries, many of the slots a collection of shorts and documentaries. Entry was free to the public, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).

The in-competition sections of Gulf Film Festival offered in all a prize bag of more than $132,000 (AED485,000) to professionals, students and Emirati screenwriters.

In the official competition, the first prize went to director Shawkat Amin Kori for his film Kick Off, with second prize awarded to Haider Rashid for Tangled Up In Blue (Al Minha). The special jury prize went to the Dubai film City Of Life, directed by Ali F Mostafa.

The winner of the official documentary section was Dobuy – The Fabric Of Faith directed by Soniya Kirpalani, with second prize going to Luay Fadhill for Pastel. Third prize went to Hameed Haddad for 80-82, and there was a special mention for Richard Latham’s cinematography in To Fly A Dream (Itlag Al Hilm).

Internationally renowned Iraqi actor and playwright Khalil Shawki, Emirati actress Raziqa Al Taresh and internationally Kuwait’s acclaimed actress Hayat Al Fahad received the Lifetime Achievement Awards at the opening ceremony of the festival.

Other awards:

Script competition for Emirati short films:

The winners are:

•       Third prize: Film Hindi by Muhsen Suliman Hassan

•       Second prize: Sebeel by Mohammed Hassan Ahmed

•       First prize: Malal (Bored) by Nayla Al Khaja

Student Competitions:

The winners in the students competition – short are:

•       Special mention for Shhh – UAE, by Hafsa Al Mutawa and Shamma Abu Nawas

•       Third prize: Malak Quota for SetIn Solitude - USA

•       Second prize: Muzna Al Musafir for Niqab- Oman

•       Special Jury prize: Mohammed Al Tamimi for Al Jantta (The Bag) - Saudi Arabia

•       First prize: Amjad Al Hinai and Khamis Ambo-Saidi for Tasreeb (Leaking) - Oman

The winners in the students competition – documentary are:

•       Special mention: Mahar Al Mahera (The Dowry)– UAE, by Maitha Hamdan

•       Third prize: Mohammed Naeem for Al Hallaq Na’eem (Na’eem The Barber) - Iraq

•       Second prize: Moath Bin Hafez for Ahlam That Al Insha’a (Constructing Dreams) - UAE

•       First prize: Hashim Al Efari for Ghuraba’a Fi Watanihem (Stranger In Their Homeland) - Iraq

Official competition:

The winners in the official competition – short are:

•       Special mention: Solo – UAE, by Ali Al-Jabri

•       Special mention: Hares Al Layl (Night Guard) – UAE, by Fadel Al Muhairi

•       Special mention: Ghaimat Shirooq – UAE, by Ahmed Zain

•       Best script: Hussam Alhulwah for Awdah (Return) – Saudi Arabia

•       Third prize: Jassim Mohammed Jassim for Thumma Matha? (So What?) - Iraq

•       Second prize: Ahd Kamel for Al Qundarji (The Shoemaker) – Saudi Arabia

•       Special Jury prize: Sahar Al-Sawaf for Um Abdulla - Iraq

•       First prize: Abdullah Al-Eyaf for Aayesh – Saudi Arabia