The Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2013 comes to an end and awards its winners
The 7th edition of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival comes to an end after seven days of wonderful cinematic performances and insightful film discussions and meetings. The closing ceremony included awards that were given to the winning films in its various film competitions, as well as giving the actress and director Hiam Abbass the Career Achievement Award.
The festival will be showcasing on 1 and 2 November 2013 its winning films in Vox Cinema in Marina Mall. The festival director Ali Al Jabri has also announced the dates for the 8th edition of the festival which will be held between 16 and 25 October 2014.
Below are the winners:
NARRATIVE FILM COMPETITION
- Black Pearl Award
Supremely cinematic and devastatingly accurate portrait of contemporary Chinese life and society.
Touch of Sin by Jia Zhangke
- Special Jury Award
A witty, playful and engaging film that cleverly uses genre, whilst dealing with serious contemporary issues.
My Sweet Pepper Land by Hiner Saleem - Best Film from the Arab World
With flair and filmic elan bringing into sharp focus one of the most gripping, terrible and unknown episodes relating to the Gulf War, brilliantly combined with dramatic reconstruction, witness testimony and archival footage.
In the Sands of Babylon by Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji - Best Director from the Arab World
Reconfirming the masterful abilities of this gifted filmmaker to depict the dark reality of Algerian society, which resonates throughout the Arab world as a whole.
Merzak Allouache for The Rooftops - Best Actor
A subtle, elegant and deeply moving performance.
Diego Peretti in The Reconstruction - Best Actress
Brilliant performance from a veteran actress still at the height of her power.
Judi Dench in Philomena
DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION
- Black Pearl Award Jake Eberts
For its unique vision, attentiveness, humanity and its empathetic ability to immerse us in its protagonistsí chaotic worlds, we award the Black Pearl to this moving and beautifully shot film:
These Birds Walk By Omar Mullick & Bassam Tariq - Honorable Mention
An honorable mention goes to InRealLife, for its remarkable and disturbing interface between humanity and technology in the 21st century. - Special Jury Award
Beautifully photographed and made with directorial confidence, this film combines intimacy with a persuasive ability to challenge government policies on emigration. For confronting one of the most pressing issues of our time The Special Jury Award goes to:
Who is Dayani Cristal? By Marc Silver
- Honorable Mention
An honorable mention goes to My Stolen Revolution, for its extraordinary and heartbreaking testimonies of human rights abuses in Iran. - Best Film from the Arab World
The best film from the Arab world goes to a film that captures an entire society through the lens of its capitalís traffic. This film is filled with humor and humanity; it reflects a chaotic society in transition. The award for Best Film from the Arab World goes to:
Cairo Drive By Sherief Elkatsha - Best Director from the Arab World
The award for Best Director from the Arab World goes to a film with a lot of heart and compassion that offers a portrait of the desperate effects of poverty on two very charismatic young men:
Hamza Ouni For El Gort
NEW HORIZONS
- Black Pearl Award
The jury unanimously discerns the Black Pearl Award to Still Life for its humanity, empathy, and grace in treating grief, solitude, and death. The film lured us with its artistic sensibility, subtleness, intelligence, humor, and its unique cinematic language.
Still Life by Uberto Pasolini - Special Jury Award
The special jury award goes to Blind Dates for the gentleness, the affectionate irony, and the humor with which it portrays the loneliness and harshness of everyday life not to mention its delicate directing.
Blind Dates by Levon Koguashvili - Best Film from the Arab World
For portraying an inner transformation of a young man anchored in his traditions through a personal journey, discovering humanity, love and cultural intersections.
Before Snowfall by Hisham Zaman - Special Jury Award to a film from the Arab World
For portraying from different perspectives, with tenderness, humor and tolerance a family group in a moment of crisis in the contemporary Egyptian society.
Villa 69 by Ayten Amin - Best Actor
For the strength displayed in a complex and irritating dual interpretation of a classic in modern form.
Jesse Eisenberg in The Double - Best Actress
Best Actress Award Ex-Aequo:
For the powerful performance of a divided and conflicted soul.
Tillotama Shome in Qissa
And,
For her natural talent, inner energy and freshness.
Julia Wildschutt in Love Me - Special Jury Mention
For recreating the atmosphere of war through the outstanding use of cinematography and sound.
Canopy by Aaron Wilson
CHILD PROTECTION AWARD
- Child Protection Award for Best Film
For its ability to communicate the emotions of children in need and for encouraging us to initiate change as "Edhi" did.
These Birds Walk By Omar Mullick & Bassam Tariq - Child Protection Award for Best Script
For its solid dramatic tackling of the eternal questioning of the nature of parenting. Is it a blood tie or an emotional tie?
Like Father, Like Son By Hirokazu Kore-eda - Special Mention
For its special therapeutic impact on a multitude of social exploitation issues.
Short Term 12 By Destin Daniel Cretton - Special Mention
For breaking the wall of silence on a sensitive taboo subject in an authentic cinematic vision.
My name is Hmm... By Agnes Trouble - Special Mention Shorts
For revealing intensively the daily suffering of a child in silence.
Agri and the Mountain By Hasan Serin - Special Mention Shorts
For exposing our extremism in celebrating our cultural norms to the extent of sacrificing our own children.
The Queen By Manuel Abramovich
FIPRESCI
- The Rooftops directed by Merzal Allouache
And,
El Gort directed by Hamza Aouni
NETPAC
A great artistic expression of the identity confrontation topic to all mechanisms in the society.
- Harmony Lessons By Emir Baigazin
OUR WORLD COMPETITION
This film has met the selection criteria considered by the jury. Most importantly, it presented the strongest and most persuasive message to the public on very serious issues that significantly affect our behavior as human beings towards our world. The director was successful in showing that what affects us is simply our ability to make trivial decisions that greatly influence our lives on the planet.
- Fatal Assistance By Raoul Peck