Back to news
Previous article

Alend Scheikhi: An award-winning alumnus

Storys

-

01.06.2026

A great honour for our alumnus Alend Scheikhi: on Sunday, he won the Best Short Film about Democracy award at the Best Independents International Film Festival in Karlsruhe with his short film ‘Girls Don't Play Sports’. 🎉


In his documentary, two twin sisters in a small town in north-eastern Syria challenge deeply rooted gender roles by resolutely pursuing their passion for volleyball. Through personal reflections and conversations with their supportive mother, the film shows the social pressure and stigmatisation that girls who love sports face in a conservative community. 


Their impressive story is one of resilience, ambition and hope. Alend studied at our Cologne campus from 2021 to 2022. 


Prior to that, he studied and worked in Syria's capital, Damascus. Dear Alend, congratulations on your award! We are proud of you and glad that you are part of our SAE family!

Comments0

Please log in to see or add a comment

Suggested Articles

Storys

Made at SAE: Audio Engineer & Grammy Award Winner Hans Martin Buff

profile photo of a member

Lukas Middelmann

December 08

Storys

Applause for our alumni Julian and Konstantin and curtain up for ‘Tafiti – Off Through the Desert’

profile photo of a member

Lukas Middelmann

September 04

Storys

Erfolgreich auf YouTube: Jonas Wagner im Talk

profile photo of a member

Lukas Middelmann

July 08