Ahd Kamel
Ahd Hassan Kamel is an actress and filmmaker from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is known for her role in the BAFTA-nominated film, Wadjda and for her role as Fatima in BBC Two's Collateral.
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’ and Sanctity ‘Hurma’.
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| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | Razan | Razan | |
| 2009 | The Shoemaker | Nidal | Writer/Director |
| 2012 | Sanctity | Areej | Writer/Director |
| 2012 | Wadjda | Miss Hussa | |
| 2014 | From A to B | Rana | |
| 2015 | Rattle The Cage | Wafa | |
| 2018 | Being | Agent Costa | |
| 2022 | All the Old Knives | Laila Maroof | |
| 2023 | My Driver and I | Writer/Director |
TELEVISION
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
| 2018 | Collateral | Fatima Asif | |
| 2019 | The Rook | Samira | |
| 2020 | Honour | Diana Nammi | |
| 2022 | Ramy | Hanan | |
| 2023 | Concordia | Fatemah |
Awards and nominations
- NOMINATED – Muhr Arab Award, Dubai International Film Festival, 2009
- WINNER - GOLDEN ALEPH for Best Short, Beirut International Film Festival, 2010
- WINNER – 2nd Prize,, Gulf Film Festival, Dubai, 2010
- WINNER - JURY AWARD, Oran Film Festival, Oran, Algeria 2010
- WINNER - Development Award Doha Tribeca Film Festival, 2012
- NOMINATED – Golden Bear for Best Short Berlinale 2013
- WINNER – 2nd Prize, Gulf Film Festival, Dubai, 2013
- WINNER - Best Feature Film, 11th Saudi Film Festival, 2025
- WINNER - Feature Film Competition, Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth 2025
- SPECIAL MENTION - Feature Film Competition, Rotterdam Arab Film Festival 2025
- RED SEA HONOREE AWARD, Red Sea International Film Festival 2025
Festival selections
- 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
- 2013 Sarajevo Film Festival Shorts Program
- 2013 Berlinale Shorts Program
- 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival
- 2025 International Arab Film Festival Zurich, Switzerland
- 2025 Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale
- 2025 Saudi Film Festival
- 2025 Beirut International Women's Film Festival
- 2025 Rotterdam Arab Film Festival
- 2025 Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth 2025