Ahd Hassan Kamel (Arabic: عهد حسن كامل) is an actress and filmmaker from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is known for her role in the BAFTA-nominated film, Wadjda (2014) and for her role as Fatima in BBC Two's Collateral (2018).
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Education and Career
Kamel grew up in Saudi Arabia and moved to New York City in 1998. She received a BFA in Animation & Communication from Parsons School of Design in 2004 and a Directing degree from the New York Film Academy in 2005. Kamel then went on to study acting under the personal tutelage of William Esper at the William Esper Studio.
As an Actor, Ahd has featured in numerous films and TV series, including a starring role in the 2014 BAFTA-nominated film Wadjda, and roles in productions for BBC, ITV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and MBC.
Kamel has written, directed and acted in her two award-winning short films, The Shoemaker ‘Al-Gondorji’ (2009) and Sanctity ‘Hurma’ (2012).
The themes of these films explore women issues in Saudi Arabia. As Hurma explores a widowed woman's attempts to save her unborn baby with limited means. The film was a selection of the Berlin International Film Festival.
Ahd wrote and directed her award-winning feature film 'My Driver and I, which debuted at the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival. Inspired by her childhood, the film unfolds against the backdrop of Jeddah in the 1980s and ’90s and traces the relationship of a rebellious girl and her Sudanese chauffeur.
Ahd received the Red Sea Honoree Award at the 2025 Red Sea International Film Festival.
Filmography
CINEMA
TELEVISION
Awards and nominations
NOMINATED – Muhr Arab Award (The Shoemaker), Dubai International Film Festival, 2009
WINNER - GOLDEN ALEPH for Best Short (The Shoemaker), Beirut International Film Festival, 2010
WINNER – 2nd Prize, (The Shoemaker), Gulf Film Festival, Dubai, 2010
WINNER - JURY AWARD (The Shoemaker), Oran Film Festival, Oran, Algeria 2010
WINNER - Development Award (Sanctity) Doha Tribeca Film Festival, 2012
NOMINATED – Golden Bear for Best Short (Sanctity) Berlinale 2013
WINNER – 2nd Prize (Sanctity), Gulf Film Festival, Dubai, 2013
WINNER - Best Feature Film (My Driver and I), 11th Saudi Film Festival, 2025
WINNER - Feature Film Competition (My Driver and I), Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth 2025
SPECIAL MENTION - Feature Film Competition (My Driver and I), Rotterdam Arab Film Festival 2025
RED SEA HONOREE AWARD, Red Sea International Film Festival 2025
Festival selections
The Shoemaker
2010 Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival /France
2010 Brussels Short Film Festival
2010 Women in Film/Canada
2010 Festival Amal/Spain
2010 Abu Dhabi International Film Festival
2010 Arab Film Festival, San Francisco
2010 Women in Film, Seattle
2010 International Film Festival Bratislava/Slovak Republic
2010 Ljubljana International Film Festival
2010 Berlin Interfilm International Short Film Festival
2010 Kettupäivät Short Film Festival, Helsinki
2010 Karama Human Rights Film Festival, Amman
Sanctity
2013 Sarajevo Film Festival Shorts Program
2013 Berlinale Shorts Program
My Driver and I
2024 Red Sea International Film Festival
2025 International Arab Film Festival Zurich, Switzerland
2025 Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale
2025 Saudi Film Festival
