Sahim Omar Kalifa, a Belgian-Kurdish filmmaker born in 1980 in Zakho, Iraqi Kurdistan, has made a significant impact in the film industry. After moving to Belgium in 2001, he pursued his passion for filmmaking and earned his Master's degree in 2008 from Sint-Lukas Film School in Brussels.
Throughout his career, Kalifa has garnered an impressive 96 international awards for his short films, including "Land of the Heroes", "Baghdad Messi", and "Bad Hunter". His achievements are truly remarkable, with "Land of the Heroes" winning the A-Jury Prize as Best Short Film at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival - Generation.
Furthermore, "Baghdad Messi" was shortlisted for the 87th Academy Awards, the Oscars, and "Bad Hunter" was also shortlisted for the 88th Academy Awards. Additionally, "Bad Hunter" won several international awards at prominent film festivals, such as the Jury Award at the 59th Valladolid International Film Festival, the 38th Montreal World Film Festival, Dubai International Film Festival, and Flickerfest International Film Festival.
Kalifa's accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, as he was chosen as the Best Kurdish Film Director in Istanbul in 2014. Moreover, in 2016, he became a member of the Academy Awards, granting him the privilege of voting for the Oscar awards.
In the summer of 2016, Kalifa embarked on his debut film project, "Zagros", which received support from the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds (VAF),Dutch Film Fund, and Eurimages.
