Two Afghan teenagers who made the Academy Award-nominated short film “Buzkashi Boys” will get to attend Sunday’s awards show, thanks to an online fundraising effort and Turkish Airlines.
(Flickr/eisenbahner)
Fawad Mohammadi, the star of the film, had plans to travel to Los Angeles but did not want to leave his co-star, Jawanmardi Piaz, behind.
So the two turned to the online site rally.org to raise $10,000 needed for the trip and, surprisingly, got it in a little more than a week.
The story caught the attention Turkish Airlines executives in Los Angeles.
“I was both impressed and moved with the determination that these two boys possessed in the hopes of attending the Oscars to represent their film,” said Fatma Yuceler, Turkish Airlines’ general manager for the Western U.S. “At the time of our involvement, they had already come close to reaching their $10,000 goal. Our ticket donations will allow them to set aside the funds that they already raised and put them into a college fund for Mohammadi.”
Turkish Airlines also gave away a ticket for an adult to chaperone the boys.
For Fawad, the trip will be his first outside of Afghanistan.
Nominated for best live-action short, “Buzkashi Boys” is the story of two best friends who realize their dreams while playing Afghanistan’s version of polo.
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