SAE Dubai is proud to present The Black Sheep Film Festival, an annual event showcasing the best student projects produced within the Bachelor of Film throughout the previous year. The event takes place once a year as a complementary event to SAE's student showcase.

The festival is named after "Black Sheep", the award-winning documentary feature film directed by our very own Reshel Shah - and the very first feature film produced by a member of our film department.

Awards & Prizes

Our award categories are as follows:

Student Films outside of SAE University are eligible for:
- "Best UAE Student Film"

Student Films current students at SAE University are eligible for:

- Best Fiction Short (Awarded to the Producer and Director of the best narrative production across all the units)

- Best Documentary Short (Awarded to the Producer and Director of the best narrative production across all the eligible units)

- Best Experimental Film (Awarded to the Producer and Director of the best experimental film across all the eligible units)

- Best Commercial Film Awarded to the Producer and Director of the best commercial production across all the eligible units)

- Best Director (Awarded to the best director of any production across all the eligible units)

- Best Actor (Awarded to the best male actor in a leading role of any narrative production across all the eligible units)

- Best Actress (Awarded to the best actress in a leading role of any narrative or experimental production across all the eligible units)

- Best Original Screenplay (Awarded to the writer(s) of a any scripted production across all the eligible units)

- Best Cinematography (Awarded to the DOP of any production within all the eligible units)

- Best Editing (Awarded to the Editor of any production within all the eligible units)

- Best Production Design (Awarded to the Production Designer of any production within all the eligible units)

- Best Sound Design (Awarded to the sound designer and, if applicable, the composer for any production across all the eligible units)

- Best Poster (Awarded to the designer of the best poster of any production across all the eligible units)

Films from previous students at SAE University are eligible for:

Best Alumni Showcase (Awarded by Faculty to projects of SAE Alumni)

Rules & Terms

1 - This festival is ONLY open to SAE Dubai student projects , Specially curated UAE students films, and SAE Alumni Projects at this time. All other submissions will be rejected out of hand.

2 - The screening will ONLY be open to top 10 UAE student films, SAE Alumni projects and current SAE student projects from within the following units:

• FLM179
• FLM1186
• FLM216
• FLM217
• FLM315
• CIM 301– Creative Skill Development
• CIM 330 – Major Project Production

3 - All submitted projects are eligible for selection, but not all project will be selected if they do not meet the required standards.

4 - The winners will be decided by an independent jury comprised of a group of prominent members of the local film industry.

6 - This event is separate from SAE's Showcase.

7 - You will not be screening your films at the Showcase, but you are required to screen your film trailers during the event and promote your films and by extension the festival.

8 - You are required to submit an accurate and complete printed credit list which includes all the individuals who worked on your production (including supplementary crew, composers and poster designers).

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UAE Student Film - Submissions Guidelines

Eligibility

The film must be created by a current student enrolled in a university or high school in the UAE.

Only Narrative/Fiction films accepted.

Film requirements

Films must be produced after January 2025
Maximum runtime is 15 minutes including credits.
All languages are accepted. English subtitles are required.
Films must be submitted as a digital file.
Accepted formats are MP4 or MOV.
Resolution must be Full HD 1920 by 1080.
Audio must be stereo.

General rules

The submitting filmmaker must hold all rights to the film.
Films must not contain copyrighted material without permission.
Selected films may be used for festival promotion.
All submissions must comply with UAE laws regulations and content guidelines.
2 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Vanja Simunko

    Very relaxed and friendly atmosphere with an incredible host. Lots of industry professionals as well who are active in the festival and stay there the whole time to engage with projects and the audience.

    Love it!

    February 2026
    Helpful
  • Ruchi Arvind Kumar

    Massive changes and improvements in the film festival. Amazing workshops held and sponsors brought in for the festivals. They've good prizes for main winners. In general this film festival displayed a lot networking chances which is what independent filmmakers and talented student filmmakers need

    March 2023
    Helpful