DHAHRAN: The red carpet was once again dotted with shimmering stars on Thursday night as the 12th Saudi Film Festival came to a grand finale close.
The prized Golden Palm Awards, which aptly resemble film strips sprouted in the shape of gold-colored palm trees, were given out after the week-long festival held at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran. The Ithra building lit up for the occasion.
The jury of each category stood by and offered a short speech highlighting the reasons the chosen film was selected before handing over the award.
Sarah Taibah won the Golden Palm for Best Acting. (Courtesy of Ithra Studios)
The winners of the awards were present and occasionally gave a short speech.
The Ithra-backed “Hijra,” directed by Shahad Ameen, won the Golden Palm Award for Best Feature Film.
The Golden Palm Award for Best GCC Feature Film went to “Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream,” directed by Mohammed Al-Daraji.
The Saudi feature, which is now showing in cinemas across the Kingdom, “A Matter of Life and Death,” directed by Anas Ba-Tahaf, was granted the jury’s Special Mention, while its main actress, Sarah Taibah, received the Golden Palm Award for Best Acting.
In the Short Film Competition, “Unknown,” directed by Ibrahim Al-Bukairi, won the Golden Palm Award for Best Short Film. “Scream of an Ant,” directed by Lujain Salaam, received the Abdullah Al-Muhaisen Award for First Film.
The Golden Palm Award for Best GCC Short Film went to “Seed,” directed by Salman Yousif, while the jury granted a Special Mention to “Assutur,” directed by Rulan Hasan and Sara Masry. Winner of the Golden Palm for GCC Documentary Film was “Fariha” by Badr Yousef.
For a complete list of this year’s winners, visit the Saudi Film Festival website and social media channels.
The week-long event included workshops, book signings and networking — and, of course, film screenings — was organized by the Cinema Association in partnership with Ithra and supported by the Saudi Film Commission.
The 12th edition’s Production Market ended with 51 financial and service-based awards, valued at more than SR4 million, a significant increase from 2025’s SR2.5 million.
The closing ceremony this year was hosted by actor Faisal Al-Dokhi and media personality Suha Al-Waal. Festival Director and founder of the SFF, Ahmed Al-Mulla, delivered a closing address. “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,” he said.
During his address, Al-Mulla announced the formation of the festival’s Higher Advisory Committee. He also announced the appointment of director and critic Abdulmohsen Al-Dhabaan as Artistic Director of the 13th SFF edition in 2027.
