The Arab Cinema Center (ACC) and the European Film Promotion (EFP) announced the selected European films for the 3rd Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films. This comes in parallel with the addition of 13 film critics to this edition’s jury, bringing the total to 71 film critics from 15 Arab nations. The jurors will evaluate the nominated films using the Festival Scope digital platform, which is a partner of the ACC. The official final nominees will be announced soon, and the award ceremony will take place at the 43rd Cairo International Film Festival (November 26th–December 5th).
This award is a spin-off of the ACC's renown Critics' Awards, which aim to increase cinema variety in the region and to pique distributors' and industry participants' interest in exceptional European films. Additionally, this project intends to shine light on the illustrious cinema reviewers from a variety of Arab countries and their critical role in broadening viewpoints and bridging cultures.
The List of European Films (in alphabetical order):
107 Mothers | Director: Peter Kerekes| Slovak Republic | Best Screenplay at Orizzonti competition of the Venice International Film Festival.
After the Winter | Director: Ivan Bakrač | Montenegro |Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Ali and Ava | Director: Clio Barnard |UK | Cannes Film Festival
As Far as I Can Walk | Director: Stefan Arsenijevic |Serbia | Grand Prix – Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Blue Moon | Director: Alina Grigore | Romania | Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival
Hinterland | Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky | Austria | The Piazza Grande audience award at Locarno Festival
Hive | Director: Blerta Basholli | Kosovo | 3 Awards at Sundance Film Festival
I’m Your Man |Director: Maria Schrader | Germany | Silver Bear for Best Acting at Berlin International Film Festival
Inventory | Director: Darko Sinko | Slovenia | San Sebastian International Film Festival
Kill It and Leave This Town | Director: Mariusz Wilczyński | Poland | Berlin International Film Festival
Lamb| Director: Valdimar Jóhannsson| Iceland | Un Certain Regard - Prize of Originality at Cannes Film Festival
Libertad | Director: Clara Roquet | Spain | Cannes Film Festival
Moon 66 Questions | Director: Jacqueline Lentzou | Greece | Berlin International Film Festival
My Sunny Maad | Director: Michaela Pavlatova | Czech Republic | Annecy International Animation Film Festival
Natural Light | Director: Dénes Nagy | Hungary | The Silver Bear for Best Director at Berlin International Film Festival
Neighbours | Director: Mano Khalil | Switzerland | Locarno Festival
Patchwork | Director: Petros Charalambous | Cyprus | Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Sisterhood| Director: Dina Duma| North Macedonia | Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The Gravedigger´s Wife |Director: Khadar Ayderus Ahmed| Finland | Cannes Film Festival
The Last Ones | Director: Veiko Õunpuu| Estonia | Grand Prize at Estonian Film and TV Awards
The Most beautiful Boy in the World | Director: Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri
| Sweden | Sundance Film Festival
The Pilgrims |Director: Laurynas Bareiša | Lithuania |Orizzonti Award for Best Film at Venice International Film Festival
The Staffroom |Director: Sonja Tarokic| Croatia | Two Awards at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The White Fortress | Director: Igor Drljača | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Berlin International Film Festival
The Year Before the War | Director: Dāvis Sīmanis | Latvia | International Film Festival Rotterdam
Three Minutes - A Lengthening | Director: Bianca Stigter| The Netherlands | Venice International Film Festival
List of newly joined film critics in the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films include (in alphabetical order): Ahmed Abo El Fadl (Egypt) | Amged Gamal (Egypt) | Azz El Deen El Ouafi (Morocco) | Dalia Said Mostafa (Egypt) | Huda Jafar (Yamen) | Lama Tayara (Syria) | Marwa Abueish (Egypt) | Omnia Adel (Egypt) | Samira Dami (Tunisia) | Samya Ayish (Palestine)| Selim ElBak (Palestine) | Shaimaa Selim (Egypt) | Sherif Thabet (Egypt)
“This year’s Arab Critics' Awards for European Film will be presented by 71 renowned film critics from 15 Arab countries at the Cairo International Film Festival. We are so grateful for this opportunity given to our partners to gain visibility for European films in the Arab world. “, stated Sonja Heinen, EFP’s Managing Director
“We are delighted to present a slew of outstanding films that have been to 2021’s key international film festivals, such as Sundance, Rotterdam, Berlin, Cannes, Annecy, Locarno, Venice and San Sebastián, by even more Arab film critics. It is a great honour for us." She added.
"In its third year, the Arab Critics' Awards for European Film established itself as a pivotal event for European films in the Arab world. It brings to light the contributions and creative writings of Arab cinema critics, which is one of the primary objectives of the Arab Critics' Awards for European Film," Maher Diab and Alaa Karkouti, founders of the Arab Cinema Center, noted.
"We were pleased to present the Arab Critics' Awards for European Films during the Cairo International Film Festival in prior years. It's our pleasure to continue for the third consecutive year, as it aligns with one of the festival's primary objectives, which is to introduce the audience to the best of international cinema production," commented Mohamed Hefzy, producer, screenwriter, and President of the Cairo International Film Festival.
"This year, we welcomed new film critics to the third edition of the Arab Critics' Awards for European Films, which introduced us to fresh western works. This is the role of film; it bridges cultural divides. We get to know one another better via Arab cinema, which have become an integral part of our self-definition.
We closely follow European films and have a viewpoint about them, even more so now that such films are screening in Arab Film Festivals following their international tours. We welcome our new colleagues from around the Arab World and look forward to seeing everyone," Ola Al-Sheikh, film critic and manager of The Arab Critics' Awards for European Films, remarked.
About European Film Promotion (EFP)
European Film Promotion (EFP) is an international network of film promotion institutes from 37 countries from throughout Europe, each representing their national films and talent abroad. Under the EFP flag, these organizations come together to promote the diversity and spirit of European cinema and talent at key film festivals and markets, in particular outside of Europe. EFP is financially supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union and by its member organizations.
The Hamburg-based office is backed by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and the Ministry of Culture of the City of Hamburg.
About Arab Cinema Center (ACC):
Organized by MAD Solutions in 2015, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is a nonprofit organization registered in Amsterdam. The ACC is an international promotional platform for Arab cinema as it provides the filmmaking industry with a professional window to connect with their counterparts from all over the world through a number of events that it organizes. The ACC also provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialized in co-production and international distribution, among others. The ACC's activities vary between film markets, stands, and pavilions, networking sessions and one-on-one meetings bringing together Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, as well as meetings with international organizations and festivals, and the issuance of the Arab Cinema Magazine to be distributed at the leading international film festivals and markets.
Furthermore, newsletter subscription is now available on the ACC's website, allowing users to obtain digital copies of the Arab Cinema Magazine, as well as news on the ACC's activities, notifications of application dates for grants, festivals and offers from educational and training institutions, updates on Arab films participating at festivals, exclusive news on the Arab Cinema LAB, and highlights from the ACC's partners and their future projects.
About Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF)
The Cairo International Film Festival is one of the oldest and most celebrated festivals in the Arab world and Africa. It is the only festival in the Arab and African region to be accorded category “A” status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations in Paris (FIAPF).
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