The management of the VS-FILM Very Short Film Festival has announced the honoring of prominent Saudi artist Ibrahim Al-Hawsawi during the opening ceremony of the festival’s third edition, running from October 28 to November 1, 2026, in the city of Suez. This tribute comes in recognition of his illustrious artistic career filled with cinematic, theatrical, and television works that have achieved remarkable success.

Al-Hawsawi began his artistic career on the theater stage in the early 1980s, presenting nearly 20 films, 100 series, and 25 plays, some of which bear his signature as an actor, writer, and producer.

His name shone brightly in short and feature films in which he participated, making a strong presence in the independent scene by collaborating with prominent directors of the new Saudi and Arab wave.

Ibrahim Al-Hawsawi received the Golden Palm Award for Best Actor in the eighth edition of the Saudi Film Festival for his role in the film Before We Forget. He also received the Film Award from the third edition of the National Cultural Awards Initiative. Furthermore, the Saudi Film Festival honored him in its 11th edition in appreciation of his role in enriching Saudi cinema for over 30 years.

A book chronicling his artistic journey has also been published, titled: Ibrahim Al-Hawsawi.. From Village Theater to the World Screen.

Al-Hawsawi expressed his pride and appreciation for being honored at an Egyptian festival specialized in very short films. He stated that receiving an honor in Egypt carries deep feelings of pride and happiness. He noted that he was influenced by every character he portrayed and that his sole criterion in choosing his works was focusing on Saudi and Arab identity, ensuring that the characters were authentic and drawn from society.

In turn, Dr. Osama Abou Nar, Chairman of the Festival, emphasized that honoring artist Ibrahim Al-Hawsawi is a tribute to a prominent Arab artistic figure of multi-talented capabilities. He stated: “We are keen in our honoring program to celebrate stars with inspiring experiences, and the Arab star Ibrahim Al-Hawsawi comes at the forefront, serving as an actor, writer, producer, and poet.”

For his part, Ziad Basmier, the festival’s Executive Director, stated that artist Ibrahim Al-Hawsawi’s connection to his Arab roots has enabled him as an actor to engage in joint ventures with filmmakers of various Arab nationalities—such as the film Hajjan with Egyptian director Abou Bakr Shawky and the film To My Son, directed by Tunisian artist Dhafer L’Abidine—in addition to presenting Arab theatrical texts such as The Tragedy of Al-Hallaj by the late Egyptian poet Salah Abdel Sabour.

Basmier pointed out that Al-Hawsawi’s career is rich in short films, and honoring him at the festival is a tribute to a generation of Arab creators who have delivered high-caliber works that have contributed to preserving Arab identity to this day.