Those visiting the Xposure International Photography Festival (Xposure) this year have seen a significant increase in the scope of the global event with the inclusion of the Xposure International Film Awards. This expansion aims to broaden Xposure’s embrace of visual storytelling media other than photography, building on the 7-day event’s reputation as the world’s largest photographic festival.
The ceremony, presented as part of the festival’s 8th edition, included four new sub-categories for the inaugural film awards: Short Film and Moving Image, Best Documentary, Cinematic Arts, and Animation. These categories received a total of 567 submissions, demonstrating the unique visions and excellent skills of filmmakers around the world.
Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), and Alya Al Suwaidi, Director of SGMB, presented the awards, which recognized nominees in each category before announcing the well-deserved winners and runners-up.
In the Short Film and Moving Image category, Lida Fazli of Iran won with her film “This Side, Other Side,” which captivated the audience with its storytelling abilities. Ali Muhammad from Iraq was named runner-up for his stunning video “The Marshes of Iraq.”
