HelAFF 2026 closes in Helsinki with awards for Arab filmmakers
Helsinki, Finland — September 13, 2026
The Helsinki Arabic Film Festival (HelAFF) ended its third edition on Saturday night with a closing ceremony in Helsinki at which the jury announced awards for films and performers from Egypt, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Algeria.
The jury was headed by Dr. Hekmat Al-Baidhani and included Randa Al-Dawoudi, a young Palestinian author; Dr. Yasir Mousa, an Iraqi cinema expert; and Finnish film director AJ Annila.
Best Feature Film | My Father's Scent (M. Siam) Best Short Film | ALONE (Mona Dawoud) Best Documentary | This Home Is Ours (Shaimaa Al-Awawdeh)
Egyptian director M. Siam’s My Father's Scent won the award for Best Feature Film, while Mona Dawoud’s ALONE, also from Egypt, was named Best Short Film.
The award for Best Documentary went to This Home Is Ours, a Palestinian film directed by Shaimaa Al-Awawdeh, according to the festival’s final awards list.
The jury named Hussein Mahfouz, director of the Saudi film Marzouq, Best Director. Dalila Al-Daria, director of Oman’s Forbidden Roses, received the award for Best Female Director.
In the acting categories, Houria Bahloul of Algeria was named Best Actress for her role in The Victim Zero, directed by Amine Bentameur. Kamel El Basha won Best Actor for his role as the father in My Father's Scent.
The award for Best Promising Actor went to Omar Rayan Attia for his performance in Prisoner, a Palestine-Canada production directed by Rami Ibrahim.
The awards were presented during a closing gala that also featured performances from artists representing Palestinian, Egyptian and Finnish traditions.
Watan Dabke Troupe performed Palestinian dabke, while Egyptian singer Wael Hussein and Finnish dancer Susanna Medusa also appeared during the evening.
One More Show, the Palestinian documentary, was chosen to be screened as the closing film of the third edition of HelAFF.
The ceremony was attended by Egyptian Ambassador Mohamed Ghoniem, Palestinian Ambassador Taissir Al-Adjouri, and Fatima Zahra El Jai, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The festival brought films from across the Arab world to Helsinki and combined the film competition with cultural performances and participation by artists and cultural representatives from the Arab world and Finland.
The final awards document lists Dr. Hekmat Al-Baidhani as head of the jury and records the winning films and performers in the festival's principal competition categories.
HelAFF ’26 took place from September 9–12, 2026, at Korjaamo Cultural Centre in the heart of the Finnish capital, Helsinki.
