Kurdish Film “Sea of Hope” Wins Best Film Award at New Cinema Festival in the Netherlands
ARK News.. The Kurdish short film “Sea of Hope”, directed by Jibril Abu Bakr, has won the Best Film Award at the New Cinema Festival in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
Jibril Abu Bakr, the film’s director, said on Thursday, 11 December 2025: “Out of 2,300 films from 110 countries, only 80 were selected, and just three films were nominated for the award. Sea of Hope managed to win the Best Film Award at the festival.”
He added that “Sea of Hope” is a short film that sheds light on the devastating impact of war on the lives of civilians who have lost everything in its aftermath.
The director explained: “The film gives special attention to the physical and psychological condition of refugees, following individuals who were forced to leave their homes and who face danger at every step as they move along perilous routes—encountering death, suffocation, and fear at every turn in their desperate search for safety and a dignified life.”
The short film “Sea of Hope” has participated in several local and international film festivals in Kurdistan, earning multiple awards and achieving notable success.
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