The 18^th Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival wrapped on Friday night by awarding Sibel [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Çağla Zencirci e Guillaume…
scheda film], the latest film by Çağla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti (Noor [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], Ningen), which tells the story of the emancipation of a young mute woman who has been rejected by her community in a tiny rural village nestled in the heart of the mountains in Turkey’s Black Sea region. The jury rewarded the film "for its genuine cinematic power, and its way of depicting in compelling fashion what is often painful to hear through words – but also for the exceptional performance of its lead actress, Damla Sönmez". The film, a co-production between France (Mars Production and Les Films du Tambour), Germany (Riva Filmproduktion), Luxembourg (Bidibul Productions) and Turkey (Reborn Production), also scooped the Cineuropa Prize and the Youth Jury Award.

The jury also handed out two Special Prizes: one went to Sofia [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Meryem Benm'Barek
scheda film] by Meryem Benm’Barek, a caustic and fascinating film about the unusual journey of a young Moroccan woman who, following her pregnancy denial, takes her fate into her own hands, no matter the consequences; while the other was bestowed upon Her Job [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Nikos Labôt
scheda film] by Nikos Labôt, as the jury was moved by "the finesse with which it tackles delicate subjects, and the spot-on mise-en-scène". The latter movie also pocketed the Critics’ Award. 

A brand-new feature at this year’s edition was the fact that the festival welcomed a Francophone jury, which opted to hand its award to M [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Yolande Zauberman, which was previously crowned this autumn at the Namur International Francophone Film Festival, as was For a Happy Life [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], the feature debut by Salima Glamine and Dimitri Linder, which picked up the Audience Award in Brussels on Friday. 

Here is the complete list of winners:

Grand Jury Prize 
Sibel [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Çağla Zencirci e Guillaume…
scheda film] - Çağla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti (France/Germany/Luxembourg/Turkey)

Special Jury Prize 
Sofia [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Meryem Benm'Barek
scheda film] - Meryem Benm'Barek (France/Morocco/Qatar/Belgium)
Her Job [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Nikos Labôt
scheda film] - Nikos Labôt (Greece/France/Serbia)

Francophone Award
M [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Yolande Zauberman (France)

Youth Jury Award 
Sibel - Çağla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti

Cineuropa Prize
Sibel - Çağla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti

UPCB – UCC Critics’ Award
Her Job - Nikos Labôt
Special Mention 
Carmen & Lola [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Arantxa Echevarría
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Audience Award 
For a Happy Life [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Salima Sarah Glamine and Dimitri Linder (Belgium)