The cast and crew of Ali’s Wedding accept the film festival prize.
CinefestOz.
Camera IconThe cast and crew of Ali’s Wedding accept the film festival prize. CinefestOz. Credit: Supplied/CinefestOz.

Muslim rom-com Ali’s Wedding wins CinefestOz Film Festival

Julian WrightEastern Reporter

MUSLIM rom-com Ali’s Wedding wowed the judges and won the $100,000 film prize at the weekend’s 10th CinefestOz Film Festival in the state’s south-west.

Directed by Jeffrey Walker and produced for Matchbox Pictures by Sheila Jayadev and Helen Panckhurst, Ali’s Wedding is a comedy, based on writer Osamah Sami’s life.

Sami, Walker, executive producers Tony Ayers and Michael McMahon, producer Helen Panckhurst, and actress Maha Wilson attended the festival gala event on Saturday n Busselton and accepted the award.

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The film beat Three Summers, Australian Day and Jungle.

Walker said that with the film’s release this month, the award was “quite literally the best thing that could happen for our picture”.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful we are for this,” he said.

Sami said the experience had been “just remarkable”.

“I’ve had some amazing feedback and it just fills me with joy because it’s bloody time we felt good about the world,” he said.

The movies were judged by an industry Jury chaired by internationally acclaimed director, producer and screenwriter, Scott Hicks.

Hicks said when the jury took its first toll around the table, the choice was unanimous.

Ali’s Wedding is in cinemas August 31.