At the 43th International Film Festival for Children and Youth Zlin (25.- 31.05.2003), the Ecumenical Jury of the International Interchurch Filmorganisation INTERFILM and the World Catholic Association for Communication SIGNIS consisted of Jan Elias, Czechia, Hans Hodel, Switzerland (Chairman), Greet Stevens, Belgium

The Jury awarded its prize from the competition of feature films for youth to the film

Miss Entebbe, by Omri Levy, Israel 2002

Motivation of the Jury: With a hijacking in 1976 in the background, the film develops the question, how children in difficult personal situations in their puberty react on political conflicts and search their own way which promises hope.

Synopsis: Jerusalem, 1976, the hijacking of the Entebbe. 13 year old Noa is convinced she can free her friend’s mom, who is held hostage, by taking a hostage. Both children decide to kidnap an Arab boy. She becomes involved in a dangerous adventure that quickly develops a life of its own. Noa and her friend try to act like adults, but in the turmoil of political conflict discover that they must rely on their own feelings and judgments. (For more details see catalog Internat.Children Filmfestival Berlin 2003.)

The director: Omri Levy graduated with merit from a film and television school in Jerusalem. His graduation film "Bedouin Sand" won eight international prizes at film festivals around the world, including San Francisco and Chicago, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Student Films in Los Angeles in 1998. Upon completing his studies, he directed the highly praised television series "The secrets of Kineret", which won first prize in 2000 at festivals in San Francisco and Munich. Miss Entebbe is his first full-length feature film.