The I-Film Festival has announced the winners of its third edition, held at Yas Creative Hub, twofour54, on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The awards covered several competition categories, including Emirati Short Films, Arab Short Films, International Short Films, and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Film Competition.

In the UAE Short Film Competition, director Ahmed Hassan Ahmed won first prize for “Umbilical Cord”, while second prize went to “Yathoom” by director Hana Kazim. A special mention was awarded to “OUG” by director Abdulrahman Al Madani.

In the Arab Short Film Competition, the first prize was awarded to “Outside Looking In” (Jordan), directed by Tara Al Khas, while second prize went to “A Forgotten Promise” (Egypt), directed by Omar Hegazy. A special mention was given to “Unleash Your Imagination” (Iraq), directed by Miral Niazi.

In the International Short Film Competition, “Love You to Death” (India), directed by Nitesh Maroha, won first prize. Second prize went to “Let Me Speak” (UK), directed by Adam Kadabra, while a special mention was awarded to “Blue Lily” (India), directed by Goutam Nair.

In the AI Film Competition, “The Door Is Closing” (India), directed by Ligani Fernandes, won first prize. Second prize went to “Space Mother” (India), directed by Siam Manohar, with a special mention awarded to “Senses” (Syria), directed by Hamada.

In addition to activities outside the official competition, the festival featured the “On Spot Content Creation” Challenge, which saw the participation of more than 20 films produced during the festival days using sets and equipment provided by Innovative Film Academy. 

The festival featured a rich program of local, Arab, and international film screenings. It opened with the Emirati film “Baab”, directed by Nayla Al Khaja. The third edition was organized by the Innovative Film Academy Abu Dhabi, with support from Abu Dhabi University and the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI).

Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Emirati actor Mansoor Al Feeli, in recognition of his long-standing artistic career, and Egyptian actress Elham Shahin, honoring her distinguished cinematic legacy.

The festival presented a rich program of panels and workshops focused on filmmaking, including a workshop on “Cinematography Techniques” delivered by specialists from Sony, and another on “Artificial Intelligence in Filmmaking,” with attendance exceeding 1000 male and female students.

The festival showcased a diverse lineup of 32 short films from around the world, including 6 films in the UAE Short Film Competition: “Umbilical Cord”, “A Beautiful Eye” by Mona Al Dhaheri, “Unknown Letters” by Saeed Jassim, “Dreams of Drowned Memories” by Abdullah Khaled, and “OUG” by Abdulrahman Al Madani.

The Arab Short Film Competition also featured titles such as “Contact” by Hassan Reda (Egypt), “Strange and Wonderful” by Aboubakr Bukhari (Algeria), and “Unleash Your Imagination” by Miral Niazi (Iraq).

Meanwhile, the International Short Film Competition included films such as “Love You to Death” by Nitesh Maroha (India), “Amanda” by Anirudh Menon (India), and “Piano” by Mikołaj Robel (Poland).

The festival also introduced new competitions, including the AI Film Competition featuring 7 films, as well as Creative Minds, Still Stories (Photography), Rhythm Unleashed, and Melody Makers.