This year’s special award category is the ‘Middle East Filmmaker Award.’ 

When the film festival was set up 12 years ago by CCMS graduates Al Yazyah Nasser Ahmad Thani Bin Obood and Reem Fakher Husain Al Zarkan, as a graduation project, the aim was to showcase student films and encourage young filmmakers in the Middle East region.  Hence the film festival being called ‘Zayed University Middle East Film Festival.’

Although the last two years has seen ZUMEFF grow into an international film festival we are conscious not to forget the original roots of the event.

This new award for 2022, ‘Middle East Filmmaker,’ will be given to a submission from a National from the Middle East/Gulf Region.