BEIRUT -- Banned in his own country, Kuwaiti helmer Amer Al Zuhair's "When the People Spoke" was one of many taboo-breaking pics that were recognized at the inaugural Gulf Film Festival, which unspooled in Dubai April 13-18.

A tale of popular uprising and defiance, the film won best documentary for its portrayal of a 2006 confrontation between Kuwaiti citizen groups and the country's top politicians.

It offered a rare glimpse at fiery anti-government speeches and brazen street marches -- both uncommon sights in the tightly controlled monarchies of the Arabian Gulf.

Many of the fest films tackled equally sensitive topics including religious fundamentalism, women's rights violations and alcoholism.

Bahraini pic, "Four Girls," which won second prize in the feature category, highlighted job discrimination by depicting a group of young women who set up a car wash after repeated rejections from employment agencies.��

But perhaps most controversial were films that challenged Islamic practices, such as Kuwaiti short, "Tired" which was banned by Kuwaiti authorities according to director, Mousaed Khaled. The film features two men praying at opposite ends of a merry-go-round in a nudge at the practice of facing Mecca in prayer.

Yet despite a few standouts, critics lambasted many of the 146 films screened over the six-day event citing amateur production values, weak scripts and genre confusion, with dramas often punctuated by jarring moments of slapstick comedy.

"We think it's very easy to make movies and this is a negative point," said Bassem Al Thawadi, a prominent Bahrain-based director and festival panelist.

Speaking during a discussion following the first day of screenings, he concluded that local directors lacked exposure to cinema culture and technical expertise, with sound quality often suffering as a result. He also said many films resembled low quality television series.

"It seems they have been watching a lot of soap operas," said Thawadi of filmmakers.

"Donjowana," one of six features selected for competition, even drew fire from its own director who conceded that he wasn't particularly fond of the pic during a question session following its screening. He then shrugged when asked to explain the meaning of its title.

"Why would they accept weak films into the festival," asked Kuwaiti actor Abdulreda Bensalem, who starred in the action pic, "One More Chance." "I'm really surprised. I think there should have been more selection."

The fest's chairman, Abdulhamid Juma, admitted that organizers were torn between a desire to encourage regional talent and be discriminating in the selection process.

"Sometimes we make mistakes," he said, before adding, "I didn't expect to see Martin Scorsese's work in a Gulf film."

Juma said the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, which was established this year, would continue to facilitate the young industry with the possible creation of a film commission in the near future.

"It's a new cinema, a new eye," he said, maintaining that filmmakers had "exceeded expectations."

But quality aside, many filmmakers saw the fest as an unprecedented forum for screening ideas, especially with censorship levels high across the conservative Gulf.

Theaters are banned in Saudi Arabia,�for example, where directors submitted over 20 pics to the fest.

"It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase my film," said Saudi helmer Nour Al Dabbagh whose documentary "Seeing Through the Sand" followed a trip of U.S. college students on a sponsored tour of the Kingdom.

She criticized some fest films for offering clich�d themes, but lauded the event overall as a platform for expression.

"It's about challenging a lot of traditions," she explained. "The films driving social change were really encouraging and interesting to find out about."