3 Films by Ahmad Saleh
Ayny
(2016 / Ahmad Saleh / 11 min / Jordan, Palestine)
Two young boys run away from their mother’s protection and slackline on the danger of war to play music with the instrument they always dreamt to have.
Festivals and Awards :
- Winner – Gold Medal (Foreign Animation) : Student Academy Awards, USA
- Winner – Best European Short Film : Ghent International Film Festival
- Winner – Short-Tiger Special Short Film Award : German Short Film Award
- Winner – European Jury Award – Special Mention (Best European Student Film) : Angers European First Film Festival
- Winner – Jury Special Mention (International Competition) : Stuttgart International Trickfilm Festival
- Winner – Special Jury Mention (Best Short Film) : Akbank Short Film Festival
- Winner – Pickurflick Indie Film Festival Award (Best Director – Animation) : Pickurflick Indie Film Festival
- Winner – Audience Award (Best Narrative Short) : Boston Palestine Film Festival
- Winner – Audience Award (Best Short) : Twin Cities Arab Film Festival
- Winner – Award (Best Animation) : Discover Film London Festival
- Winner – Best Animation : Zayed University Middle East Film Festival – ZUMEFF
- Nominee – Student Short Film Award : Austin Film Festival
- Nominee – Moon of Valencia (Best Short Film) : Cinema Jove – Valencia International Film Festival
- Nominee – Short Film – Grand Prize (Best International Short Film) : Hong Kong International Film Festival
- Nominee – Best German Short Film : Oberhausen International Short Film Festival
- Nominee – Best Student Animation : Palm Springs International ShortFest
- Nominee – First Steps Award (Best Short Film) : First Steps Awards, Germany
- Nominee – Jury Award : Cambridge Film Festival
- Nominee – Muhr Short (Best Short Film) : Dubai International Film Festival
- Nominee – Filmmaker Award (Best Animation) / Nominee Jury Award (Emerging Filmmaker) : Queens World Film Festival
- Nominee – Festival Prize (Best Animation) : Aesthetica Short Film Festival
- Nominee – Jury Prize – Bader (Best Short Film) : Ajyal Youth Film Festival
- Nominee – International Jury Award (Best Short Fiction Film) : Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People
- Nominee – ReAnimania Award (Best Animated Short Film) : ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival of Yerevan
- Nominee – International Short Film : International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC)
- Nominee – Grand Prize (Best Short) : Jecheon International Music & Film Festival
Ahmad Saleh
Ahmad Saleh is a Palestinian writer and director. His first film, HOUSE, 2012 won a second place in the German Short Film Award and his second film, AYNY, 2016 won an student Academy Award. Recently he finished his third short film, NIGHT and is developing his first feature.
He collaborates artistically with his brothers: Saleh, Halah, and Huda. Ever since they made their first film, HOUSE, Ahmad, Saleh, Saed and the entire family made films together and established their own family studio. Inspired by their mother’s hobby of making ceramic flowers, the kids grow loving hand crafts. And that is probably what made building puppets and movie sets the natural medium to tell their stories.
These three short animated films have been screened at festivals around the world and have been praised for their meticulous craftsmanship as well as their powerful portrayal of real-life experiences of Palestinians. What the Doc! 2025 is proud to include Saleh’s work as part of this year’s official program.
