Dragonfly

Source: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

‘Dragonfly’

Paul Andrew Williams’ drama Dragonfly scooped the Golden Pyramid for best film at the 46th Cairo International Film Festiva, which wrapped on November 21.

The $7,000 prize, awarded to the film’s producer, was announced during a ceremony at the Cairo Opera House by an international jury chaired by Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

The jury described Dragonfly as a “profound exploration of solitude.” Written by Williams, Dragonfly is the story of two women who strike up an unlikely friendship, when one takes it upon herself to care for her elderly neighbour.

Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn shared the best actress award for their performances in the film. Dragonfly premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June.

Once Upon a Time in Gaza, directed by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, garnered three major awards at the festival: the Silver Pyramid for best director, which comes with a $5,000 cash prize; best actor for Majd Eid; and best Arab feature, which includes a $10,000 award from Watch It.

The Bronze Pyramid Special Jury Award, along with a $3,000 cash prize, was awarded to As We Breathe, directed by Turkish filmmaker Şeyhmus Altun.

Mathieu Giombin received the Henry Barakat Award for best artistic contribution in cinematography for Sand City, directed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Mahde Hasan.

Alireza Khatami won the Naguib Mahfouz Award for best screenplay for The Things You Kill. Iraqi filmmaker Zahraa Ghandour’s documentary Flana received a special mention from the Best Arab Film Jury.

Horizons of Arab Cinema competition

Lebanese filmmaker Sarah Francis’ Dead Dog was named best Arab film in the Horizons of Arab Cinema competition, winning the Saad Eldin Wahba Award worth $10,000. The jury noted how the film succeeded in “immersing us in physical and psychological spaces.”

The best performance award in the Horizons competition went to Tunisian actress Afaf Ben Mahmoud for her portrayal of a mother in Round 13, by Mohamed Ali Nahdi. The best script award ($5,000) went to Complaint No. 713377, by Egyptian filmmaker Yasser Shafie. The Salah Abu Seif Jury Prize ($8,000) was won by Saudi documentary Anti Cinema, by Ali Saeed.

The Youssef Sherif Rizkallah Audience Award ($15,000), supported by Cred, was awarded to One More Show, a documentary by Mai Saad and Ahmed Al Danaf about the Free Gaza Circus. The best documentary award went to Souraya, Mon Amour, directed by Lebanese filmmaker Nicholas Khoury.

Alex Bakri’s Habibi Hussein received the International Critics’ Week Shadi Abdel Salam Prize for best film. The Fathy Farag Special Jury Award went to Tim Ellrich for In My Parent’s House. Jing Yi’s The Botanist received a special mention from the jury.

The Network for the Promotion of Asian Film Award was also given to The Botanist for its “unique reflection on the power of nature” and its commentary on a changing society. The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) award went to Turkish director Alireza Khatami for The Things You Kill.

The festival also featured a moving tribute to six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, the subject of closing film The Voice of Hind Rajab.

CIFF president Hussein Fahmy emphasized cinema’s power to deliver impactful stories and give a voice to the silent. He also highlighted CIFF’s goal of creating an environment that provides new opportunities for Arab filmmakers and enhances their ability to present their stories and cinematic identity on the international stage.

The closing ceremony of the festival featured a series of major tributes handed out by Fahmy and the Egyptian Minister of Culture Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno, beginning with the lifetime achievement award presented to acclaimed Chinese director Guan Hu.

This was followed by the Golden Pyramid honorary award for lifetime achievement for Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, whose film Silent Friend had screened to a packed audience the night before.

Festival president Fahmy also took the stage to present the Golden Pyramid honorary award for lifetime achievement to his longtime friend, renowned Egyptian cinematographer Mahmoud Abdel Samie.

In a major strategic initiative, CIFF signed a cooperation agreement with Qatar’s Film Commission at Doha Media City, aiming to foster co-productions, talent platforms, and international distribution for Arab cinema.

 

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