Ahmed Al-Mulla: “The Road Is Never Empty of Those Who Cross It”
Saudi Film Festival Announces Winners and Concludes Its 12th Edition
“Hijra” Wins the Golden Palm for Best Feature Film; Abdulmohsen Al-Dhabaan Named Artistic Director of the Next Edition
Dhahran – July 3, 2026
The Saudi Film Festival concluded its 12th edition on Thursday evening at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), a Saudi Aramco initiative, in Dhahran. Held from June 26 to July 2, 2026, the festival was organized by the Cinema Association, in partnership with Ithra and supported by the Film Commission. The closing ceremony took place at Ithra Theater and was hosted by actor Faisal Al-Dokhi and media personality Suha Al-Waal. It featured the announcement of the winners of the official competitions, along with several key highlights of the upcoming edition.
The ceremony included a video recap of the 12th edition, revisiting the festival’s most memorable moments, programmes, screenings, encounters, and events. Festival Director, poet Ahmed Al-Mulla, then delivered the closing address, reflecting on the impact of films, audiences, and filmmakers, and on the memory this edition leaves beyond the festival’s seven days.
The edition concluded after a week of screenings, professional programmes, and knowledge-focused activities under the theme “Every Story is a Journey.” This year, the festival presented 50 films across the Feature Film, Short Film, and Documentary competitions, as well as parallel screenings, the “Spotlight on Korean Cinema” programme, the “Road Cinema” focus, the Production Market, seminars, masterclasses, expert meetings, and book-signing sessions for the Saudi Cinema Encyclopedia.
In the Feature Film Competition, “Hijra,” directed by Shahad Ameen, won the Golden Palm Award for Best Feature Film. Actress Sarah Taibah received the Golden Palm Award for Best Acting for her role in “A Matter of Life and Death.” The Golden Palm Award for Best GCC Feature Film went to “Erkala: Gilgamesh’s Dream,” directed by Mohamed Al-Daradji, while the jury granted a Special Mention to “A Matter of Life and Death,” directed by Anas Ba-Tahaf.
In the Short Film Competition, “Majhool,” directed by Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi, won the Golden Palm Award for Best Short Film. “Sarkhat Namla,” directed by Lujain Salam, received the Abdullah Al-Muhaisen Award for First Film. The Golden Palm Award for Best GCC Short Film went to “Seed,” directed by Salman Yousef, while the jury granted a Special Mention to “Al-Sitr,” directed by Roland Hassan and Sarah Masri.
In the Documentary Film Competition, “Dhabab Al-Baroud,” directed by Saad Tuhaitah, won the Golden Palm Award for Best Documentary Film. “Marjooj Hazazi,” directed by Mishaal Al-Thubaiti, received the Jury Award. The Golden Palm Award for Best GCC Documentary Film went to “Fariha,” directed by Bader Al-Rimi, while the jury granted a Special Mention to “Baqshat Saad,” directed by Mujbil Saad Al-Faraj.
The awards were announced based on the decisions of the juries across the three competitions, which brought together filmmakers, critics, and industry experts from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, and several other countries, reflecting a diversity of artistic and professional perspectives in evaluating the participating films.
In his closing remarks, Festival Director and Founder, poet Ahmed Al-Mulla, said: “Over the course of this edition, 50 films crossed the darkness of the theaters, carrying the concerns of their makers and questions that did not end when the screenings did. Projects at the beginning of their journey also took shape with us, closing the distance between an idea and its first encounter with the screen.”
Al-Mulla added: “The edition ends in schedules, in theaters, in travel plans, and in seats folded after the final applause. Yet the road is never empty of those who cross it. There is always someone who returns to it, carrying an unquiet desire to touch the first sense of wonder once again.”
During his address, Al-Mulla announced the formation of the festival’s Higher Advisory Committee, whose members will be revealed at a later stage. He also announced the appointment of director and critic Abdulmohsen Al-Dhabaan as Artistic Director of the next edition, a step that reflects the festival’s continued work to develop its artistic and professional direction in the coming years.
Tariq AlKhawaji, Deputy Festival Director and Cultural Advisor at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), said that the cinematic momentum witnessed at the festival clearly reflects the growth of the Saudi film industry and the strengthening of its global presence. He noted that Ithra continues to support the industry by investing in distinctive projects and empowering filmmakers. This support has contributed to the recognition of several films, with Ithra-supported works receiving Golden Palm Awards, underscoring the impact of investing in national talent and high-quality Saudi cinematic content.
He added: “In this edition, we continue to strengthen this path by creating new opportunities for production and development through the new cycle of the Ithra Film Fund, which seeks to attract authentic Saudi stories and transform them into cinematic works capable of competing on international platforms, contributing to the positioning of Saudi cinema locally and globally.”
The 12th edition also saw a strong professional presence through the Production Market, which concluded with 51 financial and service-based awards valued at more than SAR 4.093 million. This marks a significant increase from approximately SAR 2.5 million in the 11th edition, representing growth of more than 60 percent in the value of support provided to film projects within a single edition. A total of 13 film projects competed in the market, receiving support from grant providers
across development, production, post-production, and technical and artistic services.
This year’s festival also presented the “Spotlight on Korean Cinema” programme in collaboration with the Busan International Short Film Festival. The programme continues the festival’s approach of opening a window onto global cinematic experiences and strengthening cultural and knowledge exchange between filmmakers and audiences. The edition also featured the “Road Cinema” focus, which explored the road as a space of transformation, survival, memory, and identity through Arab and international feature and short films.
At the opening of its 12th edition, the festival honored Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour in recognition of a cinematic career that has helped expand the presence of Saudi stories in the Arab and international film landscape. The tribute came as part of the festival’s tradition of celebrating influential figures in the cinematic and cultural scenes.
The edition further expanded its knowledge and professional programming through seminars, panel discussions, and masterclasses addressing film financing, film funds, box office dynamics, low-budget filmmaking, and Korean cinema. It also featured the “Meet the Experts” programme, which offered filmmakers one-on-one sessions with specialists in production, directing, writing, criticism, festival programming, and project development.
The 12th Saudi Film Festival concluded after a week that brought together film screenings, recognition of winning works, project development, and expanded dialogue between filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals. The edition reaffirmed the festival’s role as a continuing Saudi platform for supporting local cinema, strengthening its presence across the Gulf, Arab, and international film landscapes, and opening new paths for stories that begin as ideas and find their way to the screen.
