AUS filmmaker extends international winning streak with top awards in Los Angeles and Dubai

Photo caption: Assistant Professor Mohammed Mamdouh and writer–producer Jumana Radi pose with Hollywood film producer John Morrissey during the Los Angeles premiere of Halal Dreams at the Culver City Film Festival.

Building on a series of recent international wins, American University of Sharjah (AUS) Assistant Professor Mohammed Mamdouh has secured two new awards in Los Angeles and Dubai, further cementing the global success of his films Halal Dreams and The Keyboard. These achievements follow several recognitions in New York, London, South Korea and beyond, marking one of the most successful periods yet for the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) filmmaker.

Just weeks after earning the Best Documentary Film Award at the New York Shorts International Film Festival, Halal Dreams has now been awarded Best International Short Narrative Film at the Culver City Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film, which has now collected more than 10 international awards, follows an Egyptian halal cart worker in New York’s Times Square as he navigates the emotional distance between himself and his daughter back home. 

“This journey has been incredibly humbling,” said Mamdouh. “What has moved me most is seeing how the story of an Egyptian father can speak so clearly to audiences across continents. It's wonderful to see its themes of longing, family and belonging resonate everywhere.”

In the same week, Mamdouh’s earlier film The Keyboard, already recognized at festivals in Tokyo, New York, Hollywood, Venezuela and Greece, won the Audience Award on the opening night of the inaugural HollyShorts Film Festival Dubai. This new festival marks the first time the celebrated Los Angeles-based HollyShorts brand has launched its Oscar-qualifying festival in Dubai. 

Photo caption: Mohammed Mamdouh was awarded the Audience Award at the opening night of the HollyShorts Dubai Film Festival, hosted by the Film Society. Photo credit: Annand.

“Sharing the film with audiences in the UAE gave the Audience Award a special weight for us,” said Mamdouh. “It felt like the story had come full circle.”

Written by Radi, Mamdouh’s wife, who works as an executive producer at Electric Lime Films, The Keyboard explores doubt, obsession and emotional healing. Across both faculty and student work, AUS continues to strengthen its profile as a hub for filmmaking and visual storytelling in the region. With nearly two decades of experience in film, media and production, Mamdouh teaches courses in documentary film production, narrative fiction and film history and screenwriting at CAAD, where students gain hands-on experience and exposure to international festival platforms. These combined successes reflect the strength of AUS’ practice-led approach to film education and its commitment to supporting storytellers to tell authentic stories whose work resonates far beyond the university.

For more information about film courses at CAAD’s Department of Art and Design, visit www.aus.edu/caad/department-of-art-and-design.