Nawaf Al-Janahi

Nawaf Al-Janahi, is an actor and a film director, who was born in Abu Dhabi (UAE) on 7 February 1977, to an Egyptian mother and an Emirati father. He started acting at 7, and at the age of 19 he moved to California (USA) to study the arts of cinema. After returning to the UAE, Al-Janahi produced and directed award-winning independent short films which were recognized globally at many well known international film festivals. His last short film, "Mirrors of Silence", was highly celebrated by film critics and audiences alike, and has been officially selected in over 22 international film festivals around the world, frequently the only film from the United Arab Emirates represented. His first feature length film, "The Circle", was screened in many international film festivals, and was described by film critics as "a major turning point in Emirati and Gulf cinema". Al-Janahi's second feature film "Sea Shadow" had its world premiere in Abu Dhabi Film Festival (2011), and was then released in cinemas across the Arabian Gulf. Competing with Hollywood blockbusters, the film reached in the 1st week the 2nd place in the top 5 movies in UAE, the biggest cinema market in the Arab world. Later, the film went on a global tour to over 22 countries, the most remarkable tour for an Emirati feature film to date.