This edition of the Maghreb International Film Festival, held in Oujda, saw a remarkable artistic and cultural presence, embodied by many prominent names in Maghreb, Arab, and international cinema, as well as rich discussions and intellectual seminars that highlighted the issues of Maghreb and Arab cinema, in addition to screenings of renowned films.
The awards ceremony for this edition, organised from September 30 to October 4 by the Ciné-Maghreb Association, was held Saturday evening at the Mohammed VI Theater in Oujda. In the Short Film category, the
Grand Prize went to “Upshot” by Palestinian director Maha Haj, while the Jury Prize went to “Milk Brothers” by Kenza Tazi (Morocco), and the Jury Prize for Best Screenplay went to “Tomb of the Angels” by Choukri Rouha (Tunisia).
The Best Actor Award went to Palestinian actor Mohamed Bakri for his role in “Upshot,” and the Best Actress Award went to Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda for “Milk Brothers,” while the Hope Award went to “The Devil and the Angels’ Game” by Mohamed Amine Lakhmiri (Tunisia).
In the Feature Film competition, the Egyptian film “Dhai” by Kamal Chennaoui won the Grand Prize, while the Senegalese film “Demba” by Mamadou Dia won the Jury Prize. The Best Screenplay award went to the Moroccan feature film “Empreintes du vent” (Wachm Errih) by Leila Triki, the Best Actor award went to Alexandre Bouyer for his role in “Fanon” by French director Jean-Claude Barry, while the Best Actress award went to Tunisian actress Fatima Seffar in “Aisha” by Mehdi Barsaoui.
The jury members gave a special mention to the Franco-Algerian film “Six Feet Over” by Karim Bensaleh.
The organisers paid a glowing tribute to Moroccan actress Ibtissam Laaroussi, a recent revelation, and to academic Badr Mokri, a specialist in interculturality and cultural anthropology.
During this 14th edition, some 18 films were screened in the official feature and short film competitions. According to the organisers, this event aims to contribute to the promotion of the artistic scene and the strengthening of ties between peoples and cultures, in addition to developing and celebrating the film industry.
AK/ac/Sf/fss/as/APA