AUS filmmakers win awards at international indie movie festivals
- Last updated: February 22, 2025 | 19:33
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Students and faculty from the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) recently won multiple awards at independent international film festivals. Three AUS students — two junior students and one senior at the time of scripting and shooting their films — secured four awards across three prestigious film festivals in Italy and the USA. Their work was chosen from among thousands of entries; sources say it highlights the film talent emerging from CAAD and its growing reputation as a hub for world-class filmmaking and visual communication education.
Ahmad Al Ariqi, a multimedia design student, won two awards at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in Los Angeles in November 2024. His film, Arch, examines the journey of Amna Al Awadhi, an Emirati architecture student at AUS, who is also a global archery champion with the UAE national team. The film follows Awadhi’s journey as she tries to juggle the demands of university life with her ambition to become the world’s top archery champion. Arch won the award for Outstanding Short Film and an award for Outstanding Cinematography, both in the documentary category.
“Through this film, I learned that everyone has amazing stories; but what makes them remarkable is how we visualise them,” Al Ariqi said. “This experience has been incredible, and I’m grateful for the recognition. It’s just the beginning.” In the same month and year, Karma El Seidy, also a multimedia design student, won Best Student Short at the Milan Indie Film Festival in Italy for Abooya; it had previously won an award for nonfiction film at the First Frame Film Festival in the UK.
Abooya looks into the story of an Egyptian father who had to leave his home country to build a life for his family. Through the film, the audience bears witness to his sacrifices and confronts the often overlooked issue of fathers’ mental health in the Arab world. As a result of the early wins, El Seidy has been able to travel to different film festivals, including the Cairo Short Film Festival, to present her project on panels and talks.
“Abooya tells a deeply personal story,” said El Seidy, “but at its core, it also touches on broader societal issues that often go unspoken. I love using film to bring these hidden narratives to light, whether it’s men’s mental health or cultural expectations, sparking conversations that matter. I’m proud that the film has been selected at festivals in the US and Malaysia, as well as winning these awards.” Both Arch and Abooya were produced as course assignments in film courses taught by CAAD faculty member, Assistant Professor Mohammed Mamdouh.
Earlier, Maram Al-Isawi, another CAAD film student, was recognised with Winner - Best Screenplay at the Robinson Film Awards in Italy for her project The Vacant Chair, a film created as part of two CAAD film courses delivered by Mohammed Mamdouh and Ali Matay. The film follows Alya, a jaded and bitter woman in her mid-twenties, as she attends an Iftar with her estranged, dysfunctional family.
All the combined wins doubtless represent a significant achievement for the students, as they were competing against thousands of submissions, many from more experienced filmmakers. In addition to the students’ successes, The Keyboard, a film directed by Mohammed Mamdouh and written by his wife, Jumana Radi, Executive Producer at Electric Lime Films, has also gained significant international recognition and applause.
It has received four awards and two honourable mentions at movie festivals in Tokyo, New York, Hollywood, Venezuela and Greece. The film delves into a woman’s experience of relationships, examining themes of trust, betrayal and the process of healing one’s inner child. “Receiving the news of these awards is truly humbling,” said Mohammed Mamdouh. “More than anything, it reaffirms the dedication and hard work of our students, as well as the effort we’ve put into designing film courses that equip them with the skills to thrive in the industry, both regionally and globally.
“For years, our students have earned official selections at international film festivals — competing not just in student categories, but also as professionals, and in some cases, winning awards. Seeing them make such an impact at this level is incredibly rewarding, and I have no doubt they will continue to push boundaries in the filmmaking world. At AUS, we are grateful to play a small part in supporting the next generation of filmmakers from the region, as they share their voices and stories on an international stage.”
Egyptian-born and UAE-raised, Mamdouh graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and a minor in film from AUS in 2012. As a first-year student in 2008, he won the Middle East International Film Festival Special Jury Prize, competing against professional filmmakers. In his senior year at AUS, he collaborated with the late John D. Swanstrom, who pioneered the film minor at CAAD, on the short film Bu Qtair, which was selected for the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival in 2012. Mamdouh is a holder of the Golden Visa, for his contribution to cinematic arts.
As an educator, he maintains that the art of storytelling is an important skill for any profession. “What I enjoy the most about teaching here,” he says, “is watching passionate film students take classes alongside engineers, architects, computer scientists and business students, as they become master storytellers and apply the power of a strong narrative towards their own discipline.”