Film festivals award top prizes to Arab and Mediterranean cinema

The 37th Fameck Arab Film Festival concluded with Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji’s film, ‘Irkalla, Gilgamesh’s Dream’, receiving the Grand Prix. The Iraqi production explores the lives of war orphans through the lens of Mesopotamian mythology. Shahad Ameen’s ‘Hijra’ received a special mention from the Grand Prix jury.

The Press Prize was awarded to ‘Route Algérienne’ by Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche, a film set in the Sahara.

Separately, the 44th edition of the Arte Mare Mediterranean film festival in Bastia concluded with Marta Díaz’s ‘À jamais les premières’ winning the Grand Prix and the Ghjuventù Young Jury Prize. The Spanish film depicts the first women’s football match organized under Francoism.

Other awards at Arte Mare included the Public Prize for ‘Les Fraises’ by Laïla Marrakchi and a special mention for the Israeli-Palestinian film ‘The Sea’ by Shai Carmeli-Pollak.