Cutting Through Rocks wins the Audience Award 2026

The Audience Award goes to the film that has moved, inspired or provoked the festival audience most. The fact that the audience itself determines the winner makes the award special: it is a direct voice from people who have allowed the films to truly affect them.

The film by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni tells the story of Sara Shahverdi. As the first female council member of her small Iranian village, Sara is determined to break deep-rooted patriarchal traditions. She teaches teenage girls to ride motorbikes, encourages them to continue their education and works to prevent child marriages. But Sara’s fearless and combative approach earns her many enemies – particularly among men. This past Wednesday, the filmmakers also received the Activist Lens Award for the film at Movies that Matter Festival.

Charelle Akihary, Director of Audiences and Marketing at NPO: “The Movies that Matter Festival moves me every year. The films open our eyes, invite us to see the world from different perspectives and spark conversations the moment the credits roll; conversations that extend far beyond the cinema and help us make sense of the world. The Audience Award is a remarkable prize: it is the audience itself that tells us which film has touched them most deeply. I want to express my admiration for all the filmmakers telling stories that matter, and in particular I would like to congratulate Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki of Cutting Through Rocks, the filmmakers receiving this year’s Audience Award.”

Cutting Through Rocks will be broadcast later this year by HUMAN on NPO 2 and will also be available to stream on NPO Start in The Netherlands.