We are delighted to share that BIRDS OF WAR, directed by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak and made with the support of WMM’s Production Assistance Program, received a Special Mention for the Tim Hetherington Award at the 2026 Sheffield DocFest, which honors outstanding humanitarian storytelling. The film follows the love story of a Lebanese journalist and a Syrian activist, depicting their resilience as they navigate the front lines of war.
Congratulations are also in order for two WMM-supported projects that took home awards in the 2026 Sheffield DocFest MeetMarket:
DISRUPTION (dir. Sarvnik Kaur, prod. Monisha Thyagarajan and Sarvnik Kaur) took home the AIDC award, granting the film exclusive access to participate in the 2027 Australian International Documentary Conference. The film follows a queer farmer in Punjab who, despite conflicts with her brother, fights against modern agricultural practices and chooses care over chemicals to revive her ancestral land.
TAXI DRIVER (dir./prod. Sarah Chishti) received the Tokyo Docs Award, presented to bold documentary projects by Japanese or Asian filmmakers with strong international market potential. The film follows the cycle of hardship and hopes experienced by New York City taxi drivers as they fight for economic justice.
Congratulations to all the filmmakers!
