As I delve into this rich tapestry of cinematic excellence, I am reminded once again of the profound impact that films can have on our lives. The 45th Cairo International Film Festival has showcased a diverse array of stories from around the globe, and it’s truly humbling to witness such raw talent and passion.
The 45th Cairo Film Festival came to an end with Bogdan Mureșanu’s “The New Year That Never Came” receiving the highest honor, the Golden Pyramid Award. This dark comedy, which had earlier garnered the Horizons sidebar award at the Venice Film Festival, is set in 1989, during the celebratory period right before the fall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu.
In the awards ceremony, Natalia Nazarova, a Russian director, was honored with the Special Jury Award for Best Director and the Silver Pyramid for her exceptional work on “Postmarks.” Maxim Stoyanov received the Best Actor award, while Alina Khojevanova earned a special mention for her outstanding female lead role. Meanwhile, Lee Kang-Sheng won the Male Lead Award for his impressive performance in “Blue Sun Palace.
In a turn of events, the International Jury presided over by Danis Tanović (“No Man’s Land”) bestowed the Bronze Pyramid for best debut or second feature upon Pedro Freire’s “Malu.” This Rio-based movie draws inspiration from the life of the filmmaker’s mother, a renowned actress, and features Yara de Novaes in the principal role. Remarkably, de Novaes was also recognized with the best actress accolade. The award for best screenplay was given to the intriguing Italian film “Vittoria,” a captivating exploration of adoption penned by Casey Kauffman and Alessandro Cassigoli, and acted by individuals who experienced the actual events portrayed in the movie.
Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi were awarded the best documentary title for their film “State of Passion,” showcasing the brave efforts of British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah. His remarkable, life-saving work in the hospitals of Gaza persisted through grueling hours, even during attacks. The movie also received the award for the best Arab feature, along with other honors, presented by the Radio and Television Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to support the Palestinian cause. This cause was consistently on the minds of attendees, as many wore the colors of the Palestinian flag on their lapels. Additionally, Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi and Ghassan Abu-Sittah were both recognized for their films that opened and closed the festival respectively, with “Passing Dreams” being the opening film.
Mati Diop’s film “Dahomey,” which won the Berlinale Golden Bear, was honored again, this time in Cairo where it received the award for Best African Feature Film.
The award for the best short film, known as the Youssef Chahine Award, was presented to the filmmakers Kai Xue and Hong Jiexi for their work titled “David.
The Fipresci Prize was awarded to the witty, sharp-witted comedy “Spring Came on Laughing,” which happened to be the sole Egyptian entry in the International Competition. Its director, Noha Adel, received multiple other accolades for this first film of hers.
The 45th edition ran from Nov. 13 to Nov. 22.
A full list of winners is printed below.
The prestigious Golden Pyramid Prize recognizes “The New Year That Never Came,” a film directed by Bogdan Mureșanu, with production credits also to Bogdan Mureșanu.
The Silver Pyramid AwardSpecial Jury Award for best directorDirector: Natalia Nazarova
“Postmarks”
The Bronze Pyramid AwardFor best first or second work of a directorDirector: Pedro Freire
“Malu”
The “Naguib Mahfouz Award” is given for the best screenplay. In this case, it’s for the screenplay of “Vittoria,” written by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman.
Best Actor Award
Actor Lee Kang-Sheng for his performance in “Blue Sun Palace”
Best Actor Award
Actor Maxim Stoyanov for his performance in “Postmarks”
Best Actress Award
Actress Yara De Novaes for her performance in “Malu”
Best Actress Award (Special Mention)
Actress Alina Khojevanova for her performance in “Postmarks”
The Henry Barakat Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement was given to director Necmi Sancak for his movie titled “Ayse”, recognizing his exceptional artistic contribution.
Noha Adel has been honored with the Henry Barakat Award, recognizing her exceptional artistic contribution, for her movie titled “Spring Came on Laughing.
The Fipresci Prize-winning film, “Spring Came on Laughing,” was directed by Noha Adel.
The “Saad Eldin Wahba Award” for the best Arabic film, worth $10,000, has been given to the producers Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi for their movie titled “A State of Passion.
2021 Salah Abu Seif Award for Outstanding Direction in Film – “Laughter Brings Spring” directed by Noha Adel, comes with a $7,000 cash prize.
Youssef Sherif Rezkallah Recognizes Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib as the Best Screenwriters for the film “Arzé,” awarding them a $6,000 prize. The movie is directed by Mira Shaib.
2,000 Dollar Prize for the Best Acting Performance, awarded to Mohamed Khouyi for his outstanding portrayal in “The Blue Lake,” directed by Daoud Aoulad-Syad.
As a cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that I was honored with the Best Actress Award for my performance in “Arzé,” directed by the talented Mira Shaib. The icing on the cake? A generous $2,000 prize! What an unforgettable moment!
Special Mention
Actress Rehab Anan for her role in “Spring Came on Laughing” by Noha Adel
Shafi Abdel Salam Award for Best Film
Awarded to the director Agathe Riedinger for “Wild Diamond”
Fathy Farag Award (Special Jury Award)Awarded to “Simon of the Mountain”
Directed by Federico Luis
Special MentionFilm: “Abu Zaabal 89”
Directed by Bassam Mortada
The Youssef Chahine Award for the Best Short Film was given to the filmmakers Kai Xue and Hong Jiexi for their short film titled “David.
The Special Jury AwardAwarded to the film “The Last Dismissal”
Directed by Jowaher Alamri
Special MentionFilm: “The Mother and the Bear”
Directed by Yasmina El Kamaly
45th Cairo International Film Festival Award for Best African Feature Film goes to the documentary “Dahomey
Special Jury PrizePresented to “Abu Zaabal 89”
Directed by Bassam Mortada
45th Cairo International Film Festival’s Asia Pacific Cinema Award for Network Promotion goes to the Exceptional Asian Feature Film, titled “A Brief History of a Family,” directed by Lin Jianjie.
The Union of Organizations of Islamic Cooperation Awards its top prize for Palestinian Documentaries and Short Films worth 250,000 Egyptian Pounds goes to:
The Second Prize: 75,000 LeTo “A State of Passion”
Director: Carol Mansour, Muna Khalidi
The Third Prize: 50,000 LeTo “Passing Dreams”
Director: Rashid Masharawi
Special Mention
For Professor Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, the surgeon at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza
Special Mention
For Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi
Special MentionTo the film “The Deer’s Tooth”Director: Saif Hammash
Country: Palestine
The “From Ground Zero” Special Program, organized by Misr International Films (Mif), offers the Youssef Chahine Award and a cash prize of $1,000 to the top film in the series “Zero Distance.” In this case, the selected film is titled “Soft Skin,” directed by Khamis Masharawi.
In the Palestinian film series “Zero Distance,” the film “No Signal,” directed by Muhammad Al Sharif, was awarded the Youssef Chahine Cash Prize worth $1,000 as the best film in the competition.
In the Palestinian film series “Zero Distance,” Misr International Films (Mif) offers the Youssef Chahine Award, which includes a $1,000 cash prize for the top-ranked film. The selected movie is titled “A School Day” and was created by Ahmed Al Danaf.
The documentary film “Abu Zaabal 89,” directed by Bassam Mortada, received the Feature Documentary award. This movie hails from both Egypt and Germany.
The documentary titled “A State of Passion,” directed by both Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, received the Feature Documentary Award. This film hails from multiple countries including Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, and Kuwait.
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2024-11-23 12:47