MUSCAT, Nov 20: Kuwait claimed four awards at the 2025 Gulf Film Festival, held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre and organized under the supervision of Oman’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, with the backing of the GCC General Secretariat.

The Kuwaiti winners included Majbel Saad Al-Faraj, who received the Best Documentary award for Baqsha Saad, and Maryam Al-Abbad, awarded Best Cinematography for the short film Tashath. Hatem Hossam El-Din won Best Director for his feature film Akh, while Hussein Al-Haddad earned Best Actor for his performance in the same film.

Kuwait participated alongside fellow GCC member states with an official delegation from the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), led by Mosaed Al-Zamel, Assistant Secretary-General for the Arts Sector. The delegation included prominent professors, artists, directors, and filmmakers.

The festival ran from November 16 to 19. The National Council nominated participants according to the organizing regulations, with the opening ceremony honoring artist Saad Al-Faraj. Mohammed Al-Mansour was the guest of honor, and festival attendees included Faisal Al-Omairi, Yaqoub Abdullah, Hussein Al-Haddad, and Abdullah Al-Tararwa.

Kuwaiti films featured across multiple categories: the feature film Brother, written and produced by Dr. Ahmed Hamada; documentaries Saad’s Bundle by Majbel Saad Al-Faraj and Everybody’s Watching by Omar Al-Dakheel; and short films including Disturbance by Sadeq Behbehani, Well Done by Musaed Al-Qadheefi, and Fragmentation by Maryam Al-Abbad.

The Arts Sector of the National Council emphasized that Kuwait’s participation actively contributed to the festival’s success, promoting the Gulf’s creative talents and enhancing regional collaboration in the film industry.