The third edition of the Gulf Film Festival will screen 13 compelling films directed by student filmmakers in the student competition segment for documentaries. The selections have been cherry-picked from hundreds of entries by students from the Gulf and about life in the region. The first, second, and third place winners of the student competition will be awarded prizes worth 20,000 dirhams, 15,000 dirhams and 10,000 dirhams respectively. Masoud Amralla Al-Ali, Festival Director, said: “Cinema is an extremely powerful medium of art that allows each filmmaker to portray life as they see it. The rich canvas of films submitted by students for Gulf Film Festival is a testament to how deeply they are connected to social realities and how they make strong interpretations for the cinematic medium. The films are a clear indication of the evolution of student talent in the region and one of the goals of the festival is to introduce their work to a wide spectrum of audience.” He added: “From the plight of the youth of Iraq to the discovery of talent in the Middle East, the movies also depict the spirit of the Middle East in its truest essence.” – SGNominated student films • Aisha AlSuwaidi's “Re-construction” • Jumana Al-Ghanem and Ahlam Albannai's “Am Arabi” • Moath Bin Hafez's “Constructing Dreams” • Mohammed Ghanim Al-Marri's “Sha'am: The Forgotten Village”• Moaza Al Sharif's “Second Wife” • Maitha Hamdan's “The Dowry” • Shaikha Awad Al-Ayali's “Heat The Beat 2” • Latifa Al-Karrani and Shamsa Ahmad's “Jin Hunters” • Hashim Al-Efari's “Strangers in their Homeland” • Ahmed Al-Diwan's “Life Making” • Hassanain Al-Hani's “Day in Traffic Man's Life” • Mohammed Naeem's “Na'eem the Barber” • Luay Fadhil's “Pastel”
