Saudi Arabian Ahd Kamel joins Abu Dhabi Film Festival Jury

Abu Dhabi Film Festival committee chose the Saudi Arabian director, producer and actress Ahd Kamel as a member of its jury for Emirates Film Competition. Ahd Kamel will be part of the jury comprised of Tunisian director-producer Rida Behi, Bahraini producer Ali al-Ali, Iraqi actress Suha Salem and the Yemeni director Bader Ben Hirsi. The festival will screen  81 films and 84 short films from 48 different countries. The festival will also provide workshops by a selection of experts and professionals in film production from the region and the world. The festival aims  to develop the skills of current and aspiring Arab filmmakers, stimulate their interest in culture and improve the creativity sectors in the region. Ahd participated as a jury member in the last edition of the Troup Vast Arabia Festival which was held in Abu Dhabi last November, and is limited to short films which do not exceed seven minutes. Ahd starred in the film Wadjda which entered the Venice International Film Festival 2012 as the first Saudi Arabian film entirely shot in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi director finished shooting her short film “Horma” which was also entirely filmed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The film is about Arij, a young pregnant widow who desperately tries to do everything to save her unborn child. Ahd is the first Saudi Arabian woman to study directing and acting in the US. She gained experience working Hollywood when she participated in the 2007 film “The Kingdom” with director Peter Berg. She starred in “Razan”, a short film about a young female suicide bomber who reexamines her convictions. She won a Golden Gate Award for best actress in the San Francisco Film Festival. The film also entered the Rotterdam International Film Festival.