Women Make Movies is delighted to present the Women Make Movies Award at the 2026 Durban FilmMart to ON THE SEA ROAD, a documentary directed by Palestinian filmmaker Fitnat Waked. This award recognizes the best pitch by a woman filmmaker and comes with acceptance into WMM’s Production Assistance Program, giving Waked access to fiscal sponsorship; individualized fundraising, distribution, and ongoing project consultations, including feedback on rough cuts; social media support; a dedicated fundraising page; access to WMM’s catalog of films; 1-year access to webinars; and more.
ON THE SEA ROAD follows two young Palestinian women, one in Yafa and the other in Gaza, who build a friendship through cameras and WhatsApp calls amid the war. As they navigate interrupted communication and the distance between their lives, their connection becomes a way to explore solidarity, identity, womanhood, and the search for freedom. Through their conversations and shared experiences, the film explores the relationships that sustain us, even when circumstances threaten to pull us apart.
As a Palestinian filmmaker and producer from Yafa, Waked’s work explores the themes of identity, memory, womanhood, and belonging. With ON THE SEA ROAD, her first feature documentary, she continues to explore intimate, character-driven storytelling and the power of women to tell their own stories.
Congratulations to Fitnat Waked and the team behind ON THE SEA ROAD!
