Kurdish Film ‘Sea of Hope’ Wins Jury Award at US Veterans Media Festival

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A Kurdish short film has secured a major international accolade, as ‘Sea of Hope,’ directed by Jubrail Abubakr, won the special jury award at the Veterans Media Festival in the United States on Saturday, after being selected among a highly competitive global lineup.

Abubakr told Kurdistan24 that the festival received a total of 1,600 films from 100 countries, with only 80 selected for screening.

“Our film was the only representative of Kurdistan and Iraq participating in the festival, and fortunately, it succeeded in winning the special jury award,” he said.

Abubakr described ‘Sea of Hope’ as a short film that exposes the devastating human consequences of war through the eyes of civilians affected in its aftermath.

He explained that the film highlights the emotional and physical toll of forced displacement, tracing the journeys of individuals compelled to flee their homes.

The narrative follows dangerous migration routes where “death and suffocation lurk at every turn,” portraying what he described as a desperate search for safety and a dignified life.

According to the director, the film has participated in 24 film festivals over the past five months and has so far won seven international awards.

The achievement builds on earlier recognition for the film. In December 2025, ‘Sea of Hope’ won the Best Film Award at the New Cinema Film Festival in Amsterdam, where it was selected from 2,300 submissions across 110 countries.

At the time, Abubakr described the work as an exploration of “the devastating human consequences of war through the eyes of civilians who cried in silence after conflict,” emphasizing themes of displacement and human suffering.

With its continued success across international festivals, ‘Sea of Hope’ is further cementing its place as a powerful voice in Kurdish cinema, bringing stories of conflict, displacement, and resilience to a global audience.