Under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Pride Office, and in the presence of Sheikh Dr. Saeed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, a group of Emirati, Gulf and Arab artists, and a large crowd of filmmakers in the region and the world, and representatives of various local, Gulf and Arab media, Al Ain International Film Festival kicked off this evening at Al Ain Fort in Al Ain region. The opening ceremony witnessed the honoring of the winning artists as part of the Artists’ Achievements Recognition Program, where some of the filmmakers were selected, namely Emirati artist Marei Al-Halyan and filmmaker Abdul Hamid Juma, who founded and chaired the Dubai International Film Festival.
Sheikh Dr. Saeed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan praised the efforts of the Al Ain International Film Festival staff, who were able to ably put Al Ain Film Festival at the heart of the event and draw its name on the map of Arab and international film festivals.