Ramzi Bashour’s Debut ‘Hot Water’ Takes Best Narrative Feature at Bend

Ramzi Bashour’s debut feature “Hot Water” won Best Narrative Feature at the 23rd Bend Film Festival in central Oregon. The film stars Lubna Azabal, Daniel Zolghadri and Dale Dickey; Bashour was born in Lebanon and is based in New York City.

A first feature taking the top narrative prize at a festival that has now run for more than two decades is a small fact and a useful one. Festivals like Bend are where a director’s name starts travelling before the wider audience has heard it.