Doha: Qatari short film Sh'hab by Amal Al Muftah has scored a record-breaking 46 international film festival selections along with eight awards, several of which were for the Best Actress for Joori Mohammed Darwish, a rising Qatari actress.
The 13-minute short film has most recently won accolades at the Alvsbyn Film Festival in Sweden. Prior to that in 2019, the film was recognised at the China International New Media Short Film Festival (Female-themed Special Jury Award), Short to the Point Film Festival in Romania (Best Director & Best Leading Actress), Chhatrapati Shivaji International Film Festival in India (Best Acting Award), Beirut International Children and Family Festival (Best Short Film) and Varese International Film Festival in Italy (Best Cinematography & Best Actress).
Praising the filmmaker and the movie HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Chairperson of Doha Film Institute wrote on Instagram, "When I see achievements like this, I am reminded by the importance of small steps that contribute to major progress in the long run, and such was the vision I had for @dohafilm whose Qatari Film Fund continues to support and nurture local talent."
Sheikha Al Mayassa congratulated the director "on your wonderful accomplishments" adding, "Your film is a testament to the bright future of the local film industry as it tours the world, scoring accolades from audiences yearning for fresh perspectives and stories untold."
The movie funded by the Qatari Film Fund follows the story of an eight-year-old girl who would do anything to spend time with her father and older brother at sea. In an effort to keep her home and safe, her mother begins to share with her the most elaborate mythological tales about falling stars. But this only stokes the little girl's imagination further, and she sets out to find one at night in an enchanting tale about childlike curiosity and wonder.