Bahraini short film Hope is on a winning streak at international film festivals! Directed by Ahmed Zayani, the 18-minute film has been selected for 19 festivals so far. It won the Audience Choice Award at Los Angeles’ HorrorHaus Festival last October and also picked up the Programmer’s Award for Cinematic Excellence at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival, also in LA. Hope tells the story of two people dealing with grief after a global pandemic. As they cross paths, they find comfort in each other and try to reclaim what they’ve lost. The film reflects Bahraini culture, highlighting themes not often explored and bringing them to an international audience. The film uses both Arabic and English group scenes are in English, while individual scenes mix both languages. It was shot in Saar and Riffa, with production starting in 2023, and premiered in 2025 at the Chicago Horror Film Festival. Since then, it’s screened at festivals across the US, UK, Mexico, Spain, Indonesia, and Norway. Hope is set to continue its global journey with upcoming festivals in Peru, Los Angeles’ Angelika Film Festival, London’s Auditors Festival, and Denmark’s Night Terrors Festival in February.
Making Waves!
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