Film-maker Mohammed al Kindi wins jury prize at Georgia festival

MUSCAT, OCT 3
Acclaimed Omani film-maker Mohammed al Kindi, who represented the Sultanate of Oman at the second edition of the Art & Travel International Film Festival (ATIFF 2026) in Georgia, has won the Special Prize of the Jury in the Short Film Category for his film Roofs.
The award was presented by the festival’s International Jury during the five-day event, which concluded on September 29 in Tbilisi.
Al Kindi said the recognition was dedicated to Oman and its continued support for the film industry and emerging film-makers.
“This award is for my country, the Sultanate of Oman, for its constant support to the film industry and in moulding future film-makers. I’m immensely glad that Oman was recognised at a festival attended by key figures from world cinema,” Al Kindi told Observer.
According to the organisers, ATIFF 2026 brought together film-makers, media professionals, cultural figures and international delegates for screenings, industry workshops, masterclasses and cultural programmes. The festival was held primarily at the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts, with academic events at the Apollon Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and cultural excursions to historic Mtskheta and the Kakheti region.
Festival President and Founder Irina Khangoshvili said Al Kindi’s award recognised the film’s portrayal of Oman’s cultural tolerance and hospitality.
“This award goes to the Sultanate of Oman, represented by Mohammed al Kindi, for his poignant cinematic work that depicts the cultural tolerance of the country and the inexplicable hospitality of Oman,” she said.
The festival evaluated more than 130 competitive entries from over 30 countries. Its International Jury included Can Saraçoğlu, President of CINETOUR; Oscar-winning Polish animation producer Zbigniew Żmudzki; Italian cinematographer Alberto Rocco; Greek festival leader Irene Giannakopoulos; Portuguese cultural figure Prince Alfredo Côrte-Real; and prominent Georgian cultural personalities.
The event also featured international guests and delegates from the US, India, Iran, Greece and the Maldives, among others.
The festival concluded with a Red Carpet Grand Gala Awards Ceremony at the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts on September 29. The Grand Prix 2026, the festival’s highest honour, was awarded to the Croatian National Tourist Board for Croatia, I Hear It's Beautiful. Other honours went to works from Spain, Germany, Portugal, Ukraine, Italy and Georgia, with several awards also recognising student film-makers from the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts.
ATIFF 2026 was held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Georgia, Creative Georgia, Tbilisi City Hall and the Georgian National Tourism Administration, along with academic and private-sector partners.
“Our objective was to construct a borderless cultural bridge where cinema and travel reveal the authentic soul of nations,” Khangoshvili said.
The organisers said preparations and international submissions for the 2027 edition of ATIFF will begin in early 2027.