AUS student filmmakers showcased in First Takes at Sharjah Film Platform 2025

American University of Sharjah (AUS) student filmmakers took center stage at First Takes, a new segment of Sharjah Film Platform (SFP), Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual celebration of independent cinema. Developed in collaboration with leading UAE universities, First Takes highlighted 12 outstanding short films by students and recent graduates who represent the next generation of creative talent in the region.

Five AUS filmmakers—Ahmad Al Ariqi, Lojeen Odeh, Saud Mubarak, Turki Al Mutairi and Wenxuan Sui—were selected to present their work at Mirage City Cinema in Al Mureijah Square. Their films reflected the depth and diversity of creative expression emerging from AUS, where students can enroll in courses that introduce cutting-edge storytelling and production techniques. Assistant Professor Bentley Brown from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and Assistant Professor Mohammed Mamdouh from the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) nominated this year’s AUS filmmakers. 

The screenings were preceded by a roundtable discussion featuring participating students. Ahmad Al Ariqi, a recent graduate in multimedia design from CAAD and recent winner of ADMAF and the Institut Francais Young Filmmakers Circle prize for his film Customer Disservice, took part in a panel titled “Dialogue with the UAE’s Emerging Filmmakers” alongside several other nominated students. The sessions allowed all AUS filmmakers to reflect on their artistic journeys, discuss the evolving landscape of filmmaking in the UAE and explore how academic programs and mentorship at AUS supported their creative development. 

Following the screening, a media communication student from CAS, Turki Al Mutairi, who was also part of this year’s selection with his documentary An Unexpected Turn, took part in a Q&A.

He noted: “As filmmakers, we are storytellers, but we are also mirrors of society. My goal is not just to entertain but to challenge how we see the world around us. Cinema is a powerful tool for reflection, and I want my films to leave audiences thinking long after the credits roll.” Al Mutairi was recently recognised for his work on Like Every Cloud, an immersive VR essay that was pitched for IDFA, the world’s largest documentary festival, and developed in collaboration with Professor Bentley Brown, architecture student Hala Abdelrahim, and media studies and practice master’s student Sama Altaei.

“I’m proud to be selected for Sharjah Film Platform. Sartre said that we are ‘condemned to be free,’ and this film was my small attempt to explore that freedom against imposed definitions,” said Wenxuan Sui, a CAAD multimedia design alumnus.

Sharjah Film Platform’s eighth edition ran from November 14-23, 2025, and presented a wide selection of films, talks and artist development programs. Students from New York University Abu Dhabi, University of Sharjah and Zayed University also screened work in First Takes. 

The participation of AUS students in First Takes, devised to highlight new voices and encourage dialogue among aspiring filmmakers in the country, reflects AUS’ growing contributions to the UAE's cultural landscape. Over the past year, AUS students have won a significant number of awards at regional and international festivals, thanks to strong artistic and technical visions that shed light on untold stories from the Gulf region and the wider Middle East. 

Film at AUS is taught across the College of Architecture, Art and Design and the College of Arts and Sciences. Students can explore filmmaking through the Department of Art and Design’s Bachelor of Science in Film and New Media Design and the College of Arts and Sciences’s Bachelor of Arts in Media Communication. 

About the films nominated for First Takes

Several of the trailers for the students' short films can be watched on the links below.

Films by media communication students:

An Unexpected Turn, directed by Turki Al Mutairi in 2024, is about the unseen lives of the largely immigrant population of motorcycle delivery drivers.

Diwan, directed by Saud Mubarak in 2024, is about three young Emirati men finding connection and reflection through off-roading in the Sharjah desert, blending adventure with heritage.

Nashaf, directed by Lojeen Odeh in 2025, is about a friendly game night that unravels when a playful debate over Arabic dialects escalates into an unexpectedly heated yet comedic debate.

Films by multimedia design* alumni:

Mistake, directed by Wenxuan Sui in 2024, is set in a dystopia ruled by Eternity, where creativity is commodified. Artist Lyra Silento is told her cultural worth has expired. She chooses a dignified exit, leaving her son Epimetheus behind. Years later, as a warden of Eternity, he confronts a rebel and must decide whether to uphold the system or reclaim his humanity.

Layali Layla, directed by Ahmad Al Ariqi in 2024, explores how a long-buried memory's return can unsettle a man’s life, forcing him to navigate the blurred boundary between holding on and moving on.

Note: *In 2025, the Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Design was renamed the Bachelor of Science in Film and New Media Design.

About First Takes

First Takes is an initiative by Sharjah Art Foundation devised to highlight new voices and encourage dialogue among aspiring filmmakers in the country. Collaborating with film and art departments of universities in the UAE, works by students or recent graduates are nominated by the university professors and selected by the Foundation. This year’s university partners are American University of Sharjah, New York University Abu Dhabi, University of Sharjah and Zayed University. 

For more information about First Takes and Sharjah Film Platform, please visit sharjahart.org. 

About Sharjah Film Platform

Sharjah Film Platform (SFP) is an annual festival of independent cinema and experimental filmmaking where audiences can discover new approaches to film and art. The 10-day event, including a range of regional and international films, talks by filmmakers and industry professionals, workshops and gatherings, is centred around Mirage City Cinema, the open-air theatre in Sharjah’s historical quarter.

Organised by Sharjah Art Foundation, SFP foregrounds recent cinematic achievements by international filmmakers and artists, noteworthy classics from around the region as well as experimental films that challenge the idea of what film practice is today.