IWC Ambassador Marc Forster, Award winner Abdullah Al Boushahri and IWC Ambassador Emily Blunt during the IWC Filmmaker Award Night 2014

Golden Globe Winner and IWC Schaffhausen brand ambassador Emily Blunt presented the IWC Filmmaker Award to Abdullah Boushahri for his film “The Water”. For the third consecutive year, Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC, ‘Official Sponsor’ and ‘Festival-Time’ Partner of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), collaborated with the Festival to recognize one talented filmmaker from the region with the esteemed award.

This year, three filmmakers were shortlisted for the award: Emirati filmmaker Saeed Salmeen Al-Murry for his project “Going to Heaven”, Saudi Arabian filmmaker and actress Ahd Kamel for her film “Sandfish” and Kuwaiti director and producer Abdullah Boushahri for his project “The Water”. 

Abdullah Boushahri was chosen as the winner by the jury, and was presented with the USD 100,000 prize by Emily Blunt. Boushahri also received an exclusive IWC timepiece. 

Abdullah Boushahri produced the feature length film “Losing Ahmad”, which made its world premiere at DIFF in 2006, going on to win the Best Documentary in the Gulf at the Emirates Film Competition 2007 and touring more than 30 international film festivals around the world. In 2008, Abdullah Boushahri was recognized as the British Council Award Winner of the year for his achievements.

“The Water” tells the story of a sweeping wave of drought which hit the small city of Kuwait at the beginning of the last century before the discovery of oil. In the city’s dry alleys we find Mohammed, a young man with a great, melodious voice, who is in love with a beautiful girl named Taiba. The two lovers face a multitude of social obstacles as the city’s residents turn to desperate measures to get water.