Palestinian short film The Present wins prestigious BAFTA award

Director Farah Nablusi dedicates the award to ‘the people of Palestine’ in virtual acceptance speech.

British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s short film The Present has won the award for Best Short Film at the 2021 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. The two-day London-based event kicked off virtually on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic. The final evening of the awards will take place on Sunday. The Present, Nabulsi’s directorial debut, is the story of Yousef, played by Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri, who along with his daughter travel to buy a wedding anniversary gift for his wife in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.