The New Year That Never Came won the Golden Pyramid for best film at Cairo’s 45th International Film Festival (CIFF). The dark comedy unfolds on the cusp of Romania’s 1989 revolution and took the ‘Horizons’ award for best film along with the Fipresci prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival. It was written and directed by Romania’s Bogdan Mureșanu.
Russia’s Natalia Nazarova won the Silver Pyramid award for Postmarks, an upbeat drama about a woman with cerebral palsy whose life changes when she meets a sailor. A special mention was awarded to Alina Khojevanova and best actor was won Maxim Stoyanov.
The Bronze Pyramid award for the best first or second film by a director went to Brazil’s Pedro Freire for drama Malu. The lead Yara De Novaes, was award the best actress prize.
Egyptian melodrama Spring Came Laughing, took the Henry Barrakat Award for its director Noha Adel. The film also won best artistic contribution, the Salah Abu Seif Award for best director and the Fipresci prize.
The Arab film prize was awarded to A State Of Passion– which also won the Special Jury Prize for Feature Documentary. Abu Zaabal 89 took the Best Feature Documentary Award.
Earlier in the festival, Hussein Fahmy, President of CIFF, expressed his enthusiasm for a new agreement emphasising the festival’s commitment to fostering international cooperation in the film industry with partnerships that aim to spotlight Egypt as a global cinematic hub, offering extraordinary filming locations and modern infrastructure. The aim is to continue attracting major international productions to the region, and supporting the film industry locally and globally, while promoting Egyptian culture and heritage on the world stage.
In a related announcement, the festival revealed a new collaboration with Media Production City, aiming to expand opportunities for cinematic production and establish Egypt as a central hub for global filmmaking. @MeredithTaylor
45th CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024 | 13-22 NOVEMBER 2024