On Saturday evening, the curtain came down on the 16th International Women’s Film Festival in Salé, with the Hungarian film “Six Weeks” by director Noemi Veronica Saccone crowned with the grand prize.
During the closing ceremony of this annual demonstration, which seeks to highlight women’s creativity in the cinematic industry, prizes were distributed to the cinematic works won in the three official competitions of this session, which was organized by the Bouregreg Association from 13 to 18 November, under the auspices of King Mohammed VI.
Part of the closing ceremony of the International Women’s Film Festival in Salé (Asharq Al-Awsat)
In addition to the grand prize won by “Six Weeks” in the feature film category, “Black Bird Black Bird Black Bird” by director Ellen Naveriani (Georgia-Switzerland) won the jury prize, while “Fancy Dance” by director Erica Tremlay won. (United States) First Work Award.
The same American film also won the award for best female role, shared with the film “Black Bird, Black Bird, Black Bird,” while the film “Love and Math” by director Claudia Saint Luce (Mexico) won the award for best male role, while the Moroccan film “The Divorces of Casablanca” won. Directed by Mohamed Ahed Bensouda, he received a “special mention” from the jury of this competition. As for the documentary film category, the film “Seven Winters in Tehran” by director Stevie Niederzoll (France-Germany) won the documentary film award, with a “special mention” by the jury of this competition for the film “Koromosu – The Big Sister” by directors Habibata Warmi and Jim Donovan ( Canada). This session celebrated the most equal cinematic work in cinema, as it awarded the “The Other Bank” award to the Moroccan film “Hamida Al-Jayeh” directed by Mustafa Al-Derqawi.
As for the youth audience category, the Moroccan short film “Seventy Dragon” by Moroccan director Aya Moudin was won, while the film “Demerican Pumpkin” by director Hicham Regragui won the youth audience award for Moroccan feature film, while the film “Sika” by director Rabih El Gouhari received “special mention.” » By the competition jury. On the occasion of the opening of the ceremony, Noureddine Lazraq, Chairman of the Salé Prefecture Council, said: “The International Women’s Film Festival in Salé is a bright station for the residents of the city, thanks to its hosting of film personalities from different nationalities, which gives an atmosphere of joy to the residents of the city who love the seventh art.” . He added, “This demonstration is also a moment for discussion, communication, and cultural interaction through organizing a group of meetings and workshops that constitute an opportunity for many film activists, including critics and intellectuals, to exchange opinions and experiences with foreign cultural actors regarding developments in the world of the film industry.”
The curtain falls on the 16th session of the International Women’s Film Festival in Salé (Asharq Al-Awsat)
For his part, Abdel Latif Al-Assadi, Director of the International Women’s Film Festival in Salé, said that this year’s session achieved a number of gains in terms of expertise and experiences capable of supporting cultural diversity, indicating that the session was faithful to the policy of recognition and appreciation by honoring women’s creativity in the film industry. In conclusion, the grand prize-winning film “Six Weeks” was screened, which tells the story of Zofi, a rebellious teenage girl, who decided to give up her infant daughter through open adoption, before doubts overtook her, knowing that Hungarian law allows 6 weeks to change her mind.
Agadir International Film and Migration Festival
On the other hand, the jury of the 19th session of the International Film and Migration Festival, which concluded its activities on Saturday evening in Agadir, awarded the grand prize to the Belgian feature film “The Rebel” to its directors Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah. The Best Direction award went to director Philippe Van Loo for his Mexican-Belgian film “The Wall,” while the Best Screenplay award was given to the Mexican film “Los Lobos,” co-directed by Samuel Kishi, Luis Bigones, and Sofía Gomez Gordova.
Agadir Festival Audience (Middle East)
Moroccan actress Nafisa Benchida won the award for the best female role for her role in the film “The Return” by Ibrahim Al-Shukiri, while the award for best actor was given to the Moroccan actor Kamal Al-Kazimi, for his role in the film “Salaa” directed by Mohamed Nesrat. The International Feature Film Jury was chaired by the Belgian director, producer and screenwriter of Moroccan origins, Nabil Ben Yedder, with members Françoise Dominique Bastide, the French journalist and politician, the researcher and university professor Sanaa Ghawati, the journalist and screenwriter Bahaa Trabelsi, and the director Noureddine Khamari.
On the other hand, the jury of the festival’s other official competition, for short films, awarded the grand prize to the French-Chinese film “All Nights,” directed by Latifa Saeed. The short film jury was headed by actress, director and member of the Moroccan Parliament, Kalila Bounailat, director Ghazlane Asif, and journalist, writer and film critic Hassan Narayes. Idris Mubarak, head of the “Cultural Initiative” Association organizing this event, said that during this session, the audience eagerly followed a number of films, seminars, master classes, workshops, and open meetings for makers of the seventh art with the public, adding that these events were hosted in different spaces in order to dedicate the festival to its surroundings.
During this session, 10 films competed in the official long film competition, and 12 films in the official short film competition. These films are distinguished by the fact that most of them were produced during the current year, and they represent works that represent about 20 countries. In addition, most of the participating films, which talk about the theme of immigration, were shown. It happens for the first time in Morocco. The 19th session of the International Film and Migration Festival celebrated Belgian cinema by choosing it as the guest of honor for this session, which is considered an incubator for cinematic energies of Moroccan origins (actors, screenwriters, and directors).
