03/12/2018 - Other fully or partially European winners at the Egyptian gathering included Jamie Jones’ Obey, Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s Manta Ray and Sergei Loznitsa’s Donbass

Director Álvaro Brechner (left) receiving the Golden Pyramid from jury chair Bille August

The Cairo International Film Festival (20-29 November) came to a close at the end of last week with a glitzy awards ceremony, at which a clutch of prizes were bestowed upon several European productions or co-productions. The top prize in the International Competition, the Golden Pyramid for Best Film, was handed to A Twelve-Year Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Álvaro Brechner
film profile] by Álvaro Brechner, a Uruguayan-Argentinian-Spanish-French co-production centring on three political prisoners, which was world-premiered in Orizzonti at Venice earlier this year. The movie was also crowned with the FIPRESCI Award, in memory of Samir Farid.

Meanwhile, the international jury, chaired by Academy Award- and Palme d’Or-winning Danish director Bille August (see the interview), and also including Filipino director Brillante Mendoza, Tunisian actor Dhafer L'Abidine, Lebanese actress-screenwriter Diamand Bou Abboud, Italian director Francesco Munzi, Egyptian filmmaker Hala Khalil, Argentinian producer-writer Juan Vera, Belgian actress Natacha Regnier and Kazakh actress Samal Yeslyamova, decided to split the Silver Pyramid, otherwise known as the Special Jury Prize for Best Director, between Phuttiphong Aroonpheng for Manta Ray [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Thailand/France/China) and Sergei Loznitsa for Donbass [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sergei Loznitsa
film profile] (Germany/Ukraine/France).

The British production Obey [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Jamie Jones ended up in third place, winning the Bronze Pyramid for Best First or Second Work. As for the acting gongs, Best Actor was snagged by Sherif Desoky for his performance in EXT. Night by Ahmad Abdalla El Sayed (Egypt), and Zsófia Szamosi scooped Best Actress for her turn in the Hungarian-produced One Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Zsófia Szilágyi
film profile] by Zsófia Szilágyi. The Naguib Mahfouz Prize for Best Script was handed to Maria Camila Arias and Jacques Toulemonde Vidal for Birds of Passage [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Colombia/Denmark/Mexico), while Ash Mayfair’s The Third Wife (Vietnam) was honoured with the Best Artistic Contribution Award.

The other European features that picked up a trophy at the gathering were Fatwa [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud
film profile] by Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, a Tunisian-Belgian co-production, which won the Saad Eldin Wahba Prize for Best Arab Film in the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition, Milko Lazarov’s Ága [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Milko Lazarov
film profile] (Bulgaria/Germany/France), which pocketed the Shadi Abdel Salam Prize for Best Film in the International Film Critics’ Week, and Poisonous Roses [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Ahmed Fawzy Saleh (Egypt/France/Qatar), which snagged three gongs in the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition: Best Arab Film (presented by TikTok), the Salah Abu Seif Prize (Special Jury Prize) and the UNFPA Award.

Here is the complete list of winners:

International Competition

Golden Pyramid for Best Film
A Twelve-Year Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Álvaro Brechner
film profile] - Álvaro Brechner (Uruguay/Argentina/Spain/France)

Silver Pyramid, or Special Jury Prize for Best Director
Phuttiphong Aroonpheng - Manta Ray [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Thailand/France/China)
Sergei Loznitsa - Donbass [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sergei Loznitsa
film profile] (Germany/Ukraine/France)

Bronze Pyramid for Best First or Second Work
Obey [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Jamie Jones (UK)

Prize for Best Actor
Sherif Desoky - EXT. Night (Egypt)

Prize for Best Actress
Zsófia Szamosi - One Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Zsófia Szilágyi
film profile] (Hungary)

Naguib Mahfouz Prize for Best Script
Maria Camila Arias, Jacques Toulemonde Vidal - Birds of Passage [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Colombia/Denmark/Mexico)

Best Artistic Contribution
The Third Wife – Ash Mayfair (Vietnam)

FIPRESCI Award – in memory of Samir Farid
A Twelve-Year Night - Álvaro Brechner

International Film Critics’ Week

Shadi Abdel Salam Prize for Best Film
Ága [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Milko Lazarov
film profile] – Milko Lazarov (Bulgaria/Germany/France)

Fathy Farag Prize for Best Artistic Contribution
Erased, Ascent of the Invisible - Ghassan Halawani (Lebanon)

Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition

Best Arab Film Prize, presented by TikTok ($15,000)
Poisonous Roses [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Ahmed Fawzy Saleh (Egypt/France/Qatar)

Saad Eldin Wahba Prize for Best Arab Film
Fatwa [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud
film profile] - Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud (Tunisia/Belgium)

Salah Abu Seif Prize (Special Jury Prize)
Poisonous Roses - Ahmed Fawzy Saleh

UNFPA Award
Poisonous Roses - Ahmed Fawzy Saleh

Cinema of Tomorrow Short-film Competition

Youssef Chahine Prize for Best Short Film
Brotherhood – Meryam Joobeur (Canada/Tunisia/Sweden)

Special Jury Prize
She – More Raça (Kosovo/France)

Special Mentions
Dark Chocolate – Amr Moussa (Egypt)
A Fishers’ Recall – Christian Mejía Carrascal (Colombia)