KUWAIT CITY, Dec 13: With over 2,000 submissions from Kuwait and the surrounding countries, the AIU Film Festival was a testament to the creativity, talent and entrepreneurial spirit embodied by the film industry in the region. The festival provided an innovative platform that brought together creatives, producers, artists and more to the AIU campus to network and exchange ideas.

The campus played host to a variety of events that took place throughout the festival week and included lectures by industry leaders, screenings of submissions, exhibitions of artwork by the AIU and local community, and finally, the awards ceremony with a postevent celebration hosted on the campus. Students and guests were able to interact with industry leaders and creatives providing a unique insight into the region’s film scene. Ending the week of festivities was the AIU Film Festival Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony was a celebration of films and stories told by local and regional directors and their teams. After a detailed review of all the submissions by the jurors, the hostess announced the nominees and winners for four distinct categories, Best Arab Short Film, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Local Film. The film industry in Kuwait and the region is a diverse and engaging field with a multitude of talented artists from directors, producers, actors and more, shaping the regional film scene. AIU, along with the expert support provided by Dima AlAnsari, the head juror, and Staged in Kuwait (SIK), hosted the festival to solidify themselves as a regional hub for creativity.