45th Cairo International Film Festival: The Awards

Cairo International Film Festival

VERDICT: The Cairo jury gave their main prize to Romanian director Bogdan Muresanu’s tragicomic Cold War period piece 'The New Year That Never Came', but local writer-director Noha Adel earned the most awards and warmest reviews with her bittersweet female-driven ensemble drama 'Spring Came Laughing'.

Golden Pyramid Award For Best Film
“The Year That Never Came” (Romania)
Director: Bogdan Muresanu

Silver Pyramid Special Jury Award, for Best Director
“Postmarks” (Russia)
Director: Natalia Nazarova

Bronze Pyramid Award For Best First or Second work of a Director
“Malu” (Brazil)
Director: Pedro Friere

Naguib Mahfouz Award For Best Screenplay
“Vittoria” (Italy)
Directors, screenplay: Alessandro Cassigoli, Casey Kauffman

Best Actor Award
Lee Kang Sheng for “Blue Sun Palace” (US)
Director: Constance Tsang

Best Actor Award
Maxim Stoyanov for “Postmarks” (Russia)
Director: Natalia Nazarova

Best Actress Award (Special Mention)
Alina Khojevanova for “Postmarks” (Russia)
Director: Natalia Nazarova

Best Actress Award
Yara de Novaes for “Malu” (Brazil)
Director: Pedro Freire

Henry Barakat Award For Best Artistic Contribution
“Ayse” (Türkiye)
Director: Necmi Sancak

Henry Barakat Award For Best Artistic Contribution
“Spring Came Laughing” (Egypt)
Director: Noha Adel

The International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI)
“Spring Came Laughing” (Egypt)
Director: Noha Adel

Saad Eldin Wahba Award for Best Arabic Film
“A State of Passion” (Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, United Kingdom, Kuwait)
Producers: Carol Mansour, Muna Khalidi

Salah Abu Seif Award for Best Director
“Spring Came Laughing” (Egypt)
Director: Noha Adel

Youssef Sherif Rezkallah Award for Best Screenwriter
“Arzé” (Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia)
Director: Mira Shaib / Script: Louay Khraish, Faissal Sam Shai

Best Actor Award
Mohamed Khouyi in “The Blue Lake” (Morocco)
Director: Daoud Aoulad-Syad

Best Actress Award
Diamond Bou Abboud for “Arzé” (Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia)
Director: Mira Shaib

Actress Special Mention
Rehab Anan for “Spring Came Laughing” (Egypt)
Director: Noha Adel

Shadi Abdelsalam Award for Best Film
“Wild Diamond” (France)
Director Agathe Riedinger

Fathy Farag Award (Special Jury Award)
“Simon of the Mountain” (Argentina)
Director: Federico Luis

Special Mention
“Abu Zaabal 89” (Egypt)
Director: Bassam Mortada

Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film
“David” (China)
Directors: Kai Xue, Hong Jiexi

The Special Jury Award
“The Last Dismissal” (Saudi Arabia, Egypt)
Director: Jowaher Alamri

Special Mention
“The Mother and the Bear” (Egypt)
Director: Yasmina El Kamaly

45th Cairo International Film Festival African Feature Award
“Dahomey” (France, Senegal, Benin)
Director: Mati Diop

Special Jury Prize
“Abu Zaabal 89” (Egypt)
Director: Bassam Mortada

45th Cairo International Film Festival Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema Award
“Brief History of a Family” (China, France, Denmark, Qatar)
Director: Lin Jianjie

Broadcasting & Television Union of Organizations of Islamic Cooperation Award Presented to the top Palestinian documentaries or short films
“Square Kilometer Dreams” (Palestine)
Director: Qassam Sbeih

Second Prize
“A State of Passion” (Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, United Kingdom, Kuwait)
Producers: Carol Mansour, Muna Khalidi

Third Prize
“Passing Dreams” (Palestine, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, France)
Director: Rashid Masharawi

Special Mention
“The Deer’s Tooth” (Palestine)
Director: Saif Hammash