Student film festival ZUMEFF’s 15th edition showcases creative depth

The 15th edition of the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF) took place on November 20 –21 across Madar_39 in Abu Dhabi and the Zayed University campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

As the region’s longest-running student film festival, ZUMEFF marks significant milestones year after year, serving as a platform where emerging talent takes centre stage, stories from the region find visibility, and students gain the confidence to break into the creative industries. Madar_39 is a curated space in Abu Dhabi, where creative entrepreneurs grow ideas into thriving businesses.

Organised by students from the College of Communication and Media Sciences with close faculty mentorship, ZUMEFF champions the principle of student-led creativity.

This year, the festival received nearly 500 submissions from across the Middle East, with 27 films selected for screening and competition.

The 2025 theme, Celebrating community one film at a time, aligned with the UAE’s Year of Community and reflected ZUMEFF’s mission to use storytelling as a pathway for connection, empathy, and social awareness.

The 2025 ZUMEFF awards ceremony brought together filmmakers, faculty members from universities across the UAE, alumni, and media professionals. The event became a space where aspiring filmmakers could network, discuss potential collaborations, and receive feedback that could guide future projects. Many participants described ZUMEFF as a “creative meeting point” — a place where the region’s next generation of visual storytellers could connect and grow. This year’s festival featured five award categories, each acknowledging the diversity, originality, and technical skill of student filmmakers.

A film being screened.

The Best Documentary award was won by Qahera. Directed by Ahmad Alaa Ismail (Helwan University, Egypt), the visually compelling documentary captured Cairo through the lens of photography, celebrating its raw beauty and dynamic spirit. Best Fiction award went to Baking Powder. Produced by Abrar Zaid Alquarshi (Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia), the short film explores the emotional complexities between two brothers, one of whom is on the autism spectrum, in a delicate and heartfelt narrative.

Best Animation winner was Special Case. Directed by Adnan Al-Balushi, the animated short impressed audiences and judges with stylistic creativity, storytelling, and technical execution. Community Award (Year of Community) was given to Our Garden’s Spectrum. Created by Rhaf Al-Henaidi (Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia), the film won the award for its strong social message, highlighting themes of shared spaces, belonging, and community values.

The UAE Emerging Filmmaker Award winner was Frustration, produced by a team of Zayed University students and directed by Faris Alhammadi. The film earned the prestigious award that includes a pathway to an international production internship through the Creative Media Authority. The movies were representative of the depth of creativity and social consciousness present in today’s young filmmakers. Many audience members noted that this year’s submissions showcased a noticeable shift toward themes of identity, societal pressures, and the rapid transformations shaping the region.

In addition to film screenings, ZUMEFF’s 2025 programme included industry talks, panel discussions and hands-on workshops on editing, animation, scriptwriting, and production design.

The sessions were facilitated by both faculty and industry experts, offering students direct mentorship and practical insights. A defining feature of ZUMEFF is that it is fully designed, and managed by students. This year, third-year students Mahra Aldhaheri, Mai Almazrouei, and Ghala Ali Saad, along with their peers, played a central role in branding, visual identity, logistics, and event coordination.

A ZUMEFFer with a programme card.

“Abu Dhabi is the hub of creative industries, and we are equipping that hub with aspiring filmmakers and media professionals. This is our main task,” said Danica Cigoja Piper, faculty member at Zayed University. “ZUMEFF fosters cross-cultural experiences and provides students with invaluable feedback, from both academic and industry professionals. For many young participants, this is the first step in gaining recognition and the confidence to pursue a meaningful career in film.” ZUMEFF’s strategic partnerships have amplified its impact.

In recent years, collaborations with creative institutions such as the Creative Media Authority Abu Dhabi, have provided students with access to industry-led workshops, hands-on training, mentorship, and internship opportunities. These experiences give young filmmakers a realistic understanding of the industry’s expectations and demands.

As ZUMEFF closes its 15th edition, it is noteworthy that the festival remains a cornerstone of film education and creative development in the UAE. It empowers students not only to tell stories, but also to understand the power of filmmaking as a cultural tool, one that builds bridges, challenges norms, and reflects the world through a youthful lens. From its early beginnings more than a decade ago, ZUMEFF has grown from a university-led event into an influential regional platform. What makes the festival unique is not just the quality of the films screened, but the supportive environment it provides for both emerging and first-time filmmakers.

Over the years, the fest has nurtured directors, producers, writers and animators, who have gone on to contribute to the UAE’s rapidly growing creative economy. Many ZUMEFF alumni now work in the country’s media ecosystem in production houses, as broadcasters, in cultural institutions and digital media platforms.

The festival’s inclusive nature has allowed it to attract submissions from across the Middle East, and in previous editions, it has also welcomed entries from around the world.

The diversity in participation has introduced ZU students to a wide range of storytelling traditions, perspectives, and cinematic techniques. It has thus strengthened the festival’s relevance to Abu Dhabi’s vision of becoming a global creative hub, especially as the emirate continues to invest in media production and cultural infrastructure.