The Yemeni Students’ Union in Istanbul concluded on Sunday the fourth season of the Edraak Short Film Festival, held under the patronage and supervision of Tawakkol Karman Foundation as part of the Jusoor program, in support of Yemeni and Arab youth creativity in purposeful cinema. The festival drew hundreds of attendees from Yemeni and Arab communities.
This year’s edition of Edraak carried an artistic and humanitarian theme and featured participants from Yemen, Palestine, Sudan, and Egypt, with the attendance of Yemeni and Turkish officials.
Eighteen short films competed in this season, of which eight were selected by the jury for screening. Three films won the top awards, while one received the audience choice award.
The first prize went to Mishwar (Journey), the second to Maa’ SU (Water), and the third to The Lost Dream. The audience award went to In the Name of the Cause.
Edraak Short Film Festival is an annual artistic and cultural event sponsored and supervised by Tawakkol Karman Foundation. It empowers Yemeni and Arab youth to express their stories and social causes through cinematic art and provides a platform that brings together visual creativity and artistic engagement through a short film competition.
The festival aims to highlight Arab youth creativity in short filmmaking, enabling them to use art as a tool to express humanitarian and cultural issues through a creative and competitive environment that unites young Arab filmmakers in Türkiye and beyond.
It also provides a space for emerging filmmakers to showcase their directing and production skills, encouraging the use of cinema to address human, social, and cultural themes. Participants further develop their abilities in cinematography, editing, and screenwriting through direct interaction with judges and experts.
Moreover, the festival fosters networking and knowledge exchange among Arab content creators in Türkiye and abroad, while honoring outstanding works and showcasing them across media platforms to reach broader audiences.
To explore the Jusoor program and its major projects, including Edraak Short Film Festival, visit: https://tkif.org/en/our-programs/peace-building/jusoor-program
