The El Gouna Film Festival brought down the curtain on its eighth session yesterday evening, Friday, October 24, with an awards ceremony that witnessed the announcement of the names of the winners after a week full of screenings and events that began on the 16th of the same month, amid the remarkable presence of an elite group of filmmakers from Egypt, the Arab world, and the world.
Ahmed Malek, best actor
The artist Ahmed Malek won the Best Actor Award at the eighth session of the El Gouna Film Festival for his performance in the film “Cologne”, thus becoming the first Egyptian actor to win this award since the founding of the festival.
After receiving the award, Malek expressed his happiness, saying: “My love for acting is my first and last passion. I offer it my mind, my body, and my heart, and I believe that this award proves that this love is not one-sided.”
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He also thanked the film team and his family, especially his mother and father, stressing that this coronation represents a new beginning in his artistic career.
In the Best Actress category, actress Lea Drucker won the award for her role in the film “For Adam” directed by Laura Wandel, as part of the festival’s feature film competition.
The jury gave a special mention to the film “Hajj” directed by Kayal Simon, in appreciation of its distinguished artistic treatment.
In the documentary film competition, the Egyptian film “Life After Siham” by director Namir Abdel Masih achieved a double achievement by winning the El Gouna Silver Star Award, in addition to the Best Arab Documentary Film Award, confirming the presence of Egyptian documentary cinema in international and regional festivals.
The El Gouna Golden Star Award for Best Documentary Film went to the film “Always” by director Deming Chen, while the film “Orwell: 2+2=5” by director Raoul Peck received the Bronze Star. The jury also gave a special mention to the film “How to Build a Library,” directed by Maya Liko and Christopher King, in appreciation of its humanitarian presentation and inspiring cultural theme.
Feature Film Awards
The film “Poet” by director Misa Soto won the El Gouna Golden Star Award for Best Feature Film, within the Feature Film Competition at the eighth session of the El Gouna Film Festival, receiving wide praise from the jury for its visual treatment and poignant human story.
The film “If Is Lucky” by director Choi Lloyd Lee won the El Gouna Silver Star, while the Egyptian film “The Colony” by director Mohamed Rashad won the El Gouna Bronze Star in recognition of his bold directing style and different social approach.
As for the award for the best Arab feature film, it went to the film “Where Will the Wind Take Us” directed by Amal Al-Qalati, which caught attention with its visual aesthetics and its deep treatment of the human relationship with place and memory.
“The Devil and the Bicycle”… the best Arab short film
The film “Agapito”, directed by Kayal Daniel Romero and Arvin Bellermino, won the El Gouna Golden Star Award, after impressing the jury with its human presentation and striking visual sense.
The film “Lewins”, directed by Dorian Jespers, won the El Gouna Silver Star, while the Bronze Star went to the film “The Water Girl”, directed by Sandra Demazière.
As for the Best Arab Short Film award, it went to “The Devil and the Bicycle” by director Sharon Hakim, which received special praise from the jury for its approach to issues of identity and freedom.
Cinema for humanity
The film “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk” by director Sepidah Farsi won the “Cinema for Humanity Award/People’s Choice Award” shared with the Egyptian film “Happy Birthday” by director Sarah Gohar, during the closing ceremony of the eighth session of the El Gouna Film Festival, which this year celebrated a group of inspiring human experiences from around the world, reflecting the diversity of voices and visions in contemporary cinema.
El Gouna Green Star
As for the El Gouna Green Star Award, which is given to works that shed light on environmental and sustainability issues and contribute to raising awareness of the importance of preserving the planet Earth, it was won by the film “Seeds” by director Brittany Shine, in recognition of its poignant presentation of the relationship between humans and nature, and the importance of protecting environmental resources in the face of climate change.
Honors
At the conclusion of its eighth session, the El Gouna Film Festival honored festivals expert, Intishal Al-Tamimi, former director of the El Gouna Film Festival, in appreciation of his long career and prominent contributions to establishing and managing the festival during its previous years, before he joined the membership of the International Advisory Board of the El Gouna Film Festival.
This honor comes as a culmination of Al Tamimi’s long career in supporting the Arab film industry and promoting new talents at international festivals, and is added to a series of honors witnessed in the eighth session, during which Menna Shalaby was awarded the Creative Achievement Award, and Cate Blanchett was awarded the Hero of Humanity Award.
The eighth session of the El Gouna Film Festival witnessed a wide variety of cinematic presentations, as the program included a large group of feature-length, documentary and short films from various countries of the world.
Egyptian cinema participated with 5 films in the festival’s competitions, in addition to the opening film “Happy Birthday” by director Sarah Gohar. The film “The Best Gentlemen” was also shown in a special screening in the presence of its makers and heroes, in a festive atmosphere that brought together stars, audiences and critics.
This year’s jury included a number of prominent names in the Arab and international cinema scene:
The jury for the feature film competition was chaired by artist Laila Alawi, and included among its members Giona Nazzaro, Rachid Masharawi, Kani Kosruti, and Nahuel Pérez Pescayart.
As for the jury for feature-length documentaries, it was chaired by French director Nicolas Philibert, and included Asmaa Al-Dir, Sona Karabogosian, Mohamed Saeed Ouma, and Hala Jalal.
Meanwhile, director Mehdi Fleifel chaired the short film jury, with the participation of Andrea Gatopoulos, Juliette Cano, Souad Bishnak, and Mustafa Al-Kashef.
As for the Green Star Award Committee, which is concerned with films that address environmental and sustainability issues, its members included Jana Wehbe, Mai Al-Ghaiti, and Niklas Engstrom.
This lineup came to confirm the international character of the festival, which seeks to build bridges between cinematic experiences and support artistic creativity in its various forms.