Dubai: Budding filmmakers from across the Gulf and veterans from Arab cinema were honoured at a glittering ceremony on Tuesday, the closing night of the fourth edition of the Gulf Film Festival.
Among the winners chosen in the Gulf Competition were Iraqi and UAE filmmakers who scooped a number of honours followed by others from the GCC.
"The Gulf Film Festival has provided us with a great platform to showcase our films and opens dialogues among filmmakers," said Faisal Al Thani, a Qatari film-maker who won a special mention in the Gulf Competiton Students Shorts section.
The competition was fierce among budding filmmakers with thousands of applications received, said organisers.
The winners were presented trophies and cash prizes by his Excellency Mohammed Al Murr, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai
Culture) (pl chk title). Lifetime Achievement honours were also bestowed to Emirati actress Mariam Sultan, Saudi director-producer Mohammad F. Al Gazzaz, Kuwaiti producer-director Mohammad Al-Sanousi for their contribution to Arab cinema, along with a Special Recognition Award to Kuwaiti thespian Mohammed Almunai.
Sultan and Almunai came personally to collect their award.
"I feel overwhelmed to receive this award. Theatre and art still continues to thrill me," said Sultan.
World-renowned director Abbas Kiarostami, who held his first master-class in the region in Dubai for 40 filmmakers and avant-garde French director Gerard Courant, whose films were screened in the festival's In Focus segment were also honoured.
As many as 114 films from the Arabian peninsula were screened free of charge during the week-long festival.
Winners' list of GFF 2011:
The New York Film Academy Abu Dhabi Awards:
Hamad Saghran from UAE
Sarmad Al-Zoubidy from Oman
International Competition - Shorts
Special Mention: Parigot by Alex Digoix, Alexandre Wolfromm, Geoffrey Lerus, Loic Bramoulle, Mehdi Alavi - France
Third Prize: Va Digar Hich ... (And Nothing Else) by Roqiye Tavakoli - Iran
Second Prize: El Orden Delas Cosas by César Eteban Alenda, José Esteban Alenda - Spain
First Prize: Casus Belli by Yorgos Zois - Greece
Gulf Competition Students - Shorts
Special Mention: Demi Plie by Faisal Al Thani - Qatar
Third Prize: Akhir Decemeber by Hamad Al Hammadi - UAE
Second Prize: Hadith by Sarmad Al-Zoubidy - Oman
Special Jury Prize: Qabla Al Gharoub by Issa Al-Subhi - Oman
First Prize: Noura by Abdulrahman Al Salman - Kuwait
Gulf Competition Students - Documentary
Third Prize: Sho'ub Wa Qabael by Maysoon Al Ali - UAE
Second Prize: Ghanni Oghniatak by Omar Falah - Iraq
First Prize: Faham Wa Ramad by Hussein Mohsen - Iraq
Official Gulf Competition - Shorts
Special Mention: Baharat By Amer Alrawas - Oman
Special Mention: Slow Death by Jamal Salim - UAE
Special Mention: Actress Haya Abdulsalam For May Al Jannah - Kuwait
Special Mention: Ali Mohammed Jassim for editing Semi Illuminated - Iraq
Special Mention: Waleed Al Shehhi For the cinematography of Reeh - UAE
Script Prize: Sabeel by Mohammed Hassan Ahmed - UAE
Third Prize: The Power Of Generations by Mohammed Jassim - Bahrain
Second Prize: Frame by Luay Fadhil - Iraq
Special Jury Prize: Alwan by Akeel Hameed - Iraq
First Prize: Sabeel by Khalid Al Mahmood - UAE
Official Gulf Competition - Documentary
Third Prize: Wad'an Babel by Amer Alwan - Iraq
Second Prize: Cola by Yahya Hassan Al-Allaq - Iraq Special Jury Prize: Al Fanal Fragments of Life And Death by Mano Khalil - Iraq, Switzerland First Prize: Hamama by Nujoom Alghanem - UAE
Official Gulf Competition - Feature
Second Prize: Garaqi Daholakan by Hassan Ali Mahmood - Iraq
Firt Prize: Al Raheel Min Baghdad by Koutaiba Al-Janabi Iraq, UK, UAE
