Khaberni - The 46th Cairo International Film Festival concluded on the evening of Friday, November 21st, during a ceremony held in Cairo, Egypt, attended by a selection of top cinema stars and makers from various countries around the world, along with prominent cultural, artistic, and media figures.
At the closing ceremony of its 46th session, the festival announced the film "Once Upon a Time in Gaza" by directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser, as the winner of the Best Arabic Feature Film award, granted to the producer and valued at $10,000, provided by Watch It.
The film's story is set in Gaza in 2007, where it takes us into the world of Yahya, a student who forms an unexpected friendship with Osama, the kind-hearted drug dealer. The two embark on selling drugs from a falafel restaurant but face escalating pressures after dealing with a corrupt and arrogant police officer, leading to a narrative that unveils the fragility of relationships and the harshness of circumstances in a society burdened with crises.
During the ceremony, the film "The Things You Kill" by director Ali Reza Khatami also won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award, and the film "Souraya Mon Amour" by director Nicola Khoury won the Best Documentary Film award.
International Competition Awards at the 46th Cairo Film Festival:
- Henri Barakat Award for Best Artistic Contribution for Cinematography in the film "Sand City" by cinematographer Mathieu Giombini.
- Best Actress jointly awarded to: Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Andrew Williams for their performances in the film "Dragonfly".
- Best Actor, awarded to actor Majd Eid for his role in the film "Once Upon a Time in Gaza".
- Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Screenplay for the film "The Things You Kill" by director Ali Reza Khatami.
- The Bronze Pyramid Award – Special Jury Award valued at $3,000 for the film "As We Breathe" by director Seamus Alton.
- The Silver Pyramid Award for Best Director valued at $5,000 awarded to directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser for "Once Upon a Time in Gaza".
- The Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film valued at $7,000 – awarded to the producer for the film "Dragonfly" by director Paul Andrew Williams.
- Youssef Cherif Rizkallah Audience Award, based on audience votes and valued at $15,000, went to the film "ONE MORE SHOW" by directors Mei Saad and Ahmed El Danf.
Short Film Competition Awards:
- Special Jury Award valued at $3,000 awarded to the film "A Very Straight Neck" by director Neo Sora.
- Best Short Arabic Film, valued at $2,000, awarded to the film "Two Tetas" by director Lin Al Safh.
- Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film, valued at $5,000, awarded to the film "Cairo Streets" by director Abdullah Al Taie.
International Critics Week Awards:
- Special Mention for the film "The Botanist" by director Ging Yi.
- Fathy Farag Award – Special Jury Award went to "In My Parents House" by director Tim Ellrich.
- Shadi Abdel Salam Award for Best Film – awarded to the director – went to the film "Habibi Hussein" by director Alex Bakri.
