Jeddah, December 2, 2025 — The third edition of the 2025 Student Film Festival opened today, organized by the Faculty of Communication and Media at King Abdulaziz University at the King Faisal Conference Center, with broad participation from 15 Saudi universities and more than 100 works, including 50 short films and 50 documentaries, alongside new categories that keep pace with developments in filmmaking.

This year's festival celebrates rising student talent in screenwriting, directing, cinematography and acting, with organizers introducing an AI-film category in which students submitted seven creative works. The festival also screened 240 short films produced by students in a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) AI academy camp, 24 of which were selected for publication on the academy's official accounts and for entry in the festival's official competition. A dedicated animation category featured six distinguished student works.

During the ceremony, winners were honored across the various categories. The film "PTSD" from King Abdulaziz University won Best Screenplay, while Manar Khaled Al-Zahrani of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University won Best Animated Film for her work "Work Bag." Sawsan Al-Qurai'i of King Abdulaziz University won Best Short Narrative Film for "Wing 7." Student Ahmed Ali Bunajma of King Faisal University won Best Documentary for "Resurrection," while the film "Fax" from the University of Jeddah won Best Editing. Student Abdulkarim Al-Indijani of Umm Al-Qura University won Best Actor, the film "400-0" from Arab Open University won Best Cinematography, and "Madmen of the Seventh Art" from King Abdulaziz University won Best Original Score.

In the AI-generated films track, Ibrahim Baqashi of Jazan University took first place for his film "This Is Jazan," Waleed Khaled Al-Qahtani of Taif University placed second for "Blazing Eyes of Evil," and Ghadi Fawaz Al-Otaibi of King Abdulaziz University placed third for "Dhahayen."

The festival also includes a series of panel discussions and training workshops aimed at developing students' skills and introducing them to the professional and practical sides of local and international filmmaking, supporting young talent and empowering a new generation in film production and visual creativity.