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The 41 edition of the Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries was a big success
The Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries took place 02-06.10 and the Helnan Antoniades Hotel, the new flagship of the Helnan hotel chain with the gardens and the zoo behind, was the epicenter of the film festival.
The opening ceremony on 02.10 took place at the Biblioteca Alexandrina with a festive celebration with actors like the famous actor Mohamed Mansour from Kuwait, during which Mr. Al-Amir Abaza, the president of the festival presented the Livetime Achievement Awards to famous Egyptian actress Laila Eloui (I met Laila later in El Gouna at the GFF, where she was the jury president) and to the Spanish actress Mercedes Ortega.
The evening was also dedicated to child actress of Armenian-Egyptian descendence Feyrouz, her daughter Imane Gamgoum, I already met the previous year at the film festival while she came along to Alexandria with her aunt, famous Egyptian actress Nelly, who received the award the year before.
With Imane Gamgoum, the daughter of Feyrouz and French actress Marianne Borgo
The artistic director of the festival Ghada Chahine selected many films for the festival from abroad. Film producer Chiara Dona dalle Rosé and her son Carlo Dona dalle Rosé came from Venice in Italy with the short film "Mathieu". Directed by Vera Munzi and with Carlo playing 5 roles "Mathieu" is about a young and brilliant actor with a seemingly perfect life. One day, returning from party, Mathieu will find himself having to confront his past actors role, his career and his mother, until he realizes his greatest fear: no longer being able to recognize the boundary between fiction and reality, losing himself forever behind a mask. When he is in front of the last actor we realized that he is talking to himself and nobody is behind the mirror.
with Italian producer Chiara Dona dalle Rosé, French actress Marianne Borgo, Egyptian director and winner Mohanad Diab and Italian actor Carlo Dona dalle Rosé who cathed the attention of the public for interpreting 5 roles in the short film "Mathew".
At the closing ceremony on October 6 French actress Marianne Borgo, who received in 2022 in Alexandria the Livetime Achievement Award highlighted the talent of young Italian actor Carlo Dona dalle Rosé, which should have received an award dedicated to emerging talents. Kuwaiti actor Mohamed Mansour, famous throuout the MENA region and beyond was celebrated on this occasion and received the Livetime Achievement Award.
Carlo and Chiara Dona dalle Rosé
The closing ceremony of the 41 edition of the Alexandria International Film Festival took place in the gardens which are part of the Antoniades Hotel, part of the Helnan hotel group. Jury president was the French festival director Charles Scibetta.
The jury of the Nour El Sherif Competition for Arab Films decided to grant:
• The Said Sheimy Award for Best Documentary to “Shapes of normal human beings ” (Lebanon).
• The Egyptian Film Writers and Critics Association Award for Best Arab Feature Film to “CONNECTION ” (UAE).
• The Best Feature Film Award to “Carved by the Wind” (Morocco).
• The Special Jury Award to “Day Zero” (Syria).
Youth Competition- the Professional section Jury has decided the following:
• Best Fiction Film: Abu Goudi
• Jury Prize for Fiction Film: Thuraya
• Best Documentary Film: Who’s Still Alive
• Best Humanitarian Film: The Last Message
• Special Mention: UndergroundEgyptian Youth Films – Students Section
• Best Film: Ouddai
• Special Jury Prize: Kastarous
• Samir Farag Award: Wa men El Hob (Some of Love)
• Certificate of Appreciation: Abidjo
The Yusef Chahine Best Director Award went to Spanish director Alberto Duenas for his film "Secundarias".
Dutch producer Dewi Reijs received the Best Film Award in the children film competition. It was actualy not a film but a miniseries she produced, 5 episodes by the title "I am here" reflecting the emotions of children of refugees finding a new home away from home in the Netherlands.
Morrocan DOP Yassine Bouderba received the Ramsis Marzouk Award for Best Cinematography for his great color balance in "Quiproquo" by director Hamid Basket from jury member Michael Hapeshis.
The jury granted a special mention to the Algerian film “Al SAKIA” for presenting a true story and blending animation with live-action. It is the first 3D animation in the Arab world. Actor Abdelbacet Benkhelifa who gives his voice to the grandfather, received the award on behalf of the director and the whole film team. An other Algerian filmmaker Abu Dhabi based Boubaker Boukhari won with his short "Ghariba and Ajeeb" a Special Mention in the children film competition.
The jury also gave a special mention to the Saudi film “Distortion” for addressing a globally significant issue.
The Faten Hamama Award went to the Kosovo based actress
Gresa Pallaska for her performance in the film "Waterdrop" by Albanian director Robert Budina who also was awarded the Best Screenplay Award.
This year edition was dedicated to Egytian superstar Laila Eloui who received together with Spanish actress Mercedes Ortega the Lifetime Achievement Awards.
The 41 edition of the Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries was one of the major events of the city attracting locals aswell as cinephiles from abroad, promoting the city on an international level.
Alicev Kanterian
12.11.2025 | Alice Kanterian's blog Cat. : Ambiance Fest. circuit Red carpet FILM FESTIVALS
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