02/12/2019 - Ghost Tropic and A Certain Kind of Silence were among the European movies awarded during the 41st edition of the CIFF, as the event attained Oscar-qualifying status

Before the 41st Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) announced its award winners, the event received a distinction from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences: Oscar-qualifying film-festival status. From now on, any short film that wins Cairo’s Cinema of Tomorrow competition will be eligible for consideration in two Oscar categories: Animated and Live-action Short Film. This year, the opportunity was given to Ambience by Wisam Al Jafari (Palestine), which scooped the Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film.

The International Competition Jury, led by Stephen Gaghan, decided to give the top recognition, the Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film, to I Am No Longer Here by Fernando Frias (Mexico/USA), which revolves around a 17-year-old boy who has to leave his native Mexico and set up a new life in the USA. Juan Daniel Garcia Treviño, who plays the lead in the film, pocketed the Best Actor Award. Ghost Tropic [+see also:
film review
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interview: Bas Devos
film profile] by Bas Devos (Belgium) came second by winning the Silver Pyramid – Special Jury Award, while The Fourth Wall by Zhang Chong and Zhang Bo (China) split the Bronze Pyramid Award for Best First or Second Work by a Director with A Certain Kind of Silence [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michal Hogenauer
film profile] by Michal Hogenauer (Czech Republic/Netherlands/Latvia). Filipino master Brillante Mendoza, who brought his latest oeuvre, Mindanao, to Cairo, left Egypt with two prizes: the Henry Barakar Award for Best Artistic Contribution and the Best Actress Award (for Judy Ann Santos). Najwa Najjar, who wrote and directed Between Heaven and Earth [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Palestine/Iceland/Luxembourg), snatched the Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Screenplay.

The separate jury led by Piers Handling gave its two top prizes in the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition to Mehdi Barsaoui’s A Son [+see also:
film review
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interview: Mehdi M Barsaoui and Sami B…
film profile] (Tunisia/France/Lebanon): the Best Arab Film Award and the Salah Abu Sheif Award – Special Jury Award. Mohanad Hayal, who helmed Haifa Street (Iraq), scooped the Saad Eldin Wahba Award for Best Arabic Film, Awarded to a Director, while his thesp Ali Thamer won the Best Acting Performance Award. Elie Kamal’s Beirut Terminus (Lebanon/UAE) snagged the Best Non-fiction Award.

The 41st CIFF came to a successful close on 29 November after screening 150 films from 63 countries.

Here is the list of the main award winners:

International Competition

Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film
I Am No Longer Here – Fernando Frias (Mexico/USA)

Silver Pyramid – Special Jury Award
Ghost Tropic [+see also:
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interview: Bas Devos
film profile] - Bas Devos (Belgium)

Bronze Pyramid Award for Best First or Second Work by a Director (ex-aequo)
The Fourth Wall - Zhang Chong, Zhang Bo (China)
A Certain Kind of Silence [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Michal Hogenauer
film profile] - Michal Hogenauer (Czech Republic/Netherlands/Latvia)

Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Screenplay
Najwa Najjar - Between Heaven and Earth [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Palestine/Ireland/Luxembourg)

Best Actor Award
Juan Daniel Garcia Trevino - I Am No Longer Here

Best Actress Award
Judy Ann Santos - Mindanao (Philippines)

Henry Barakar Award for Best Artistic Contribution
Brillante Mendoza - Mindanao

International Critics’ Week Prize

Shadi Abdel Salam Award for Best Film, Awarded to a Director
Sofia Quiros Ubeda – Land of Ashes [+see also:
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film profile] (Costa Rica/Chile/Argentina/France)

Fathy Farag Award, Special Jury Award
Arrest [+see also:
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interview: Andrei Cohn
film profile] - Andrei Cohn (Romania)

Arab Competition

Best Arab Film
A Son [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Mehdi M Barsaoui and Sami B…
film profile] - Mehdi Barsaoui (Tunisia/France/Lebanon)

Salah Abu Sheif Award - Special Jury Award
A Son - Mehdi Barsaoui

Saad Eldin Wahba Award for Best Arabic Film, Awarded to a Director
Mohanad Hayal - Haifa Street (Iraq)

Best Non-fiction Award
Beirut Terminus - Elie Kamal (Lebanon/UAE)

Best Acting Performance Award
Ali Thamer - Haifa Street

Cinema of Tomorrow

Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film
Ambience - Wisam Al Jafari (Palestine)

Special Jury Award
The Marvellous Misadventures of the Stone Lady - Gabriel Abrantes (France/Portugal)

Special Mentions
Contact - Smair Syriani (Lebanon)
The Trap - Nada Riyadh (Egypt/Germany)

UNFPA Award
A Son - Mehdi Barsaoui

Audience Award
Let’s Talk - Marianne Khoury (Egypt/France)