3 Films by Ahmad Saleh
Night
(2021 / Ahmad Saleh / 16 min / Jordan, Palestine)
The dust of war keeps the eyes sleepless. Night brings peace and sleep to all the people in the broken town. Only the eyes of the mother of the missing child stay resilient. Night must trick her into sleeping to save her soul.
Festivals and Awards :
- Winner – Golden Horseman (Best Animated Film – National Competition) : Dresden Film Festival
- Winner – Best Animated Work : American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund
- Winner – Special Jury Prize (Short Film) : Torino Film Festival
- Winner – Grand Prix (Animated Short) : Regard: Saguenay International Short Film Festival
- Winner – Best Animation : Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival
- Winner – Best International Short Film Jury Prize : Gimli Film Festival
- Winner – Short Film Competition (Special Mention) : Malmö Arab Film Festival
- Winner – Anhar Award (Best Short Film) : Karama Human Rights Film Festival
- Winner – Jury Special Mention (Best Short Film) : Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival
- Winner – Special Mention (Animation) : Potsdam Sehsüchte
- Nominee – Grand Jury Prize (Best European Short Film) : Angers European First Film Festival
- Nominee – Grand Prix (Animation) : Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films
- Nominee – Gold Hugo (Best Animated Short) : Chicago International Film Festival
- Nominee – Best European Short Film : Cork International Film Festival
- Nominee – Best International Short Film : Ghent International Film Festival
- Nominee – Best Animation (Animated Short) : Foyle Film Festival
- Nominee – Short Film Award of the City of Hof : Hof International Film Festival
- Nominee – Golden Pardino – Leopards of Tomorrow (International Competition) : Locarno Film Festival
- Nominee – Best Animated Short : Palm Springs International ShortFest
- Nominee – Shorts and Animation Competition (Best Animation Short) : Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
- Nominee – Festival Prize (Best Animated Short Film) : Guanajuato International Film Festival
- Nominee – Jury Prize – Hilal (Hilal Best Short Film Award) : Ajyal Youth Film Festival
- Nominee – Best Short Film : CineFest – Miskolc International Film Festival
- Nominee – FIMUCINEMA Award (Best Original Score in a Short Film) : Fimucite Festival Internacional de Musica de Cine de Tenerife
CASMAWRDS 2022 - Nominee – Grand Prix (International Competition) : Stuttgart International Trickfilm Festival
- Nominee – Golden Star (Short Films Competition) : El Gouna Film Festival
- Nominee – The Sunbird Award (Best Short Film) : Palestine Cinema Days
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.
