CAIRO - 28 November 2020: The Arab Cinema Center (ACC) and EFP (European Film Promotion) have announced the three films nominated for the 2nd Arab Critics' Awards for European Films, which came after 56 critics from 14 Arab countries watched 22 films from 22 European countries, which were on the preliminary list of nominated films for the award.
The winning film will be announced during a ceremony that will be held at the Cairo International Film Festival from December 2-10.
The films nominated for the Arab Critics' Awards for European Films:
1-Never Gonna Snow Again | Director: Małgorzata Szumowska | Poland’s Official Submission for the Oscars
2-Quo vadis, Aida? | Director: Jasmila Žbanić | Bosnia and Herzegovina (World premiered at the Venice Film Festival)
3-Undine | Director: Christian Petzold | Germany (FIPRESCI Award and Silver Lion Award at Berlinale and screens within the Out of Competition Official Selection at the Cairo International Film Festival).
The jury of the Arab Critics' Awards for European Films encompasses 57 members from across 14 Arabic-speaking countries.
Palestinian film critic Ola Al-Sheikh has been appointed as Manager of The Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films.
“After the announcement of the second edition of the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films, during these unusual circumstances in which the world is living, and with the lack of cinematic productions in general, I was brought back to the memories of the first edition, through which I realized the ability of cinema to bridge the gaps between peoples.
When the film God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya, directed by Teona Mitevska, won and the film was screened in the last edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, and the producer and actress Labina Mitevska received the award, I remember what she expressed said about how cinema has a charm that leads peoples into knowing themselves and the others more.
This year, the number of members of the jury has reached 56 critics from several Arab countries, after 14 new critics have recently joined.
Usually, critics would have seen the films at the time of their screenings in international festivals, but this year the vast majority, due to Covid-19, saw the nominated films through Festival Scope, and then voted, until we reached the three films that received the highest percentage of votes, and they are: Quo Vadis, Aida?, Never Gonna Snow Again and Undine. On this occasion, I would like to thank all the critics for their efforts” Sheikh said.
The Arab Critics' Awards for European Films aim to promote European cinema in the Arab world, and to attract distributors and decision-makers in the Arab cinema industry to distinctive European films, in addition to shedding light on prominent Arab critics and their prominent role in revealing different viewpoints and cultural exchange between societies.
List of film critics in the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films (in alphabetical order):
Abdelkarim Ouakrim (Morocco), Abdelkrim Kadri (Algeria), Abdul Sattar Naji (Kuwait), Ali Wajeeh (Syria), Ahmed Sami (Egypt), Aliaa Talaat (Egypt), Amal El-Gamal (Egypt), Andrew Mohsen (Egypt), Chaf Tabbara (Lebanon), Doha El Wardany (Egypt), Erfan Rashid (Iraq), Essam Zakaria (Egypt), Fahad Alestsa (Saudi Arabia), Hammadi Gueroum (Morocco), Hassan Haddad (Bahrain), Hauvick Habéchian (Lebanon), Hind Mezaina (UAE), Houda Ibrahim (Lebanon), Husam Asi (Palestine), Ibrahim Haj Abdi (Syria), Ikbal Zalila (Tunisia), Kadhum Saloom (Iraq), Kais Kassem (Iraq), Khaled Mahmoud (Egypt), Khalid Ali (Sudan), Khalil Demmoun (Morocco), Lamia Guiga (Tunisia), Magda Khirallah (Egypt), Mahdi Abbas (Iraq), Mohamed Allal (Algeria), Mohamed Atef (Egypt), Mohamed Awad (Egypt), Mohamed Benaziz (Morocco), Mohammed Chouika (Morocco), Mohammed Rouda (Lebanon), Mohamed Sayed Abdel Rehim (Egypt), Mohamed Tarek (Egypt), Nabil Hadji (Algeria), Nada Azhari (Syria), Nadim Jarjoura (Lebanon), Nageh Hassan (Jordan), Narjes Torchani (Tunisia), Nidal Queshha (Syria), Ola Kamel Al-Sheikh (Palestine, UAE), Ola Shafey (Egypt), Ossama Abdel Fattah (Egypt), Rachid Naim (Morocco), Rahma El Haddad (Egypt), Rasha Hosny (Egypt), Safaa Elaisy (Egypt), Safaa Jibara Al-saleh (Iraq, UK), Samira El Dami (Tunisia), Taher Alwan (Iraq), Tarek Ben Chaabane (Tunisia), Tarek El Shinnawi (Egypt), Yousra Chikhawi (Tunisia), and Ziad Khuzai (Iraq).
EFP (European Film Promotion) 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.
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.
The ACC also launched an English-language Arab Cinema Guide, available on its website, which is a comprehensive cinematic guide that comprises a variety of tools presented collectively for the first time to offer information on Arab cinema to filmmakers inside and outside of the Arab world.
It also aims to facilitate filmmakers' access to international markets and help film industry representatives to easily identify Arab film productions.
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