As the three day event featuring eight work-in-progress films came to an end, the winners were chosen. Among the top prizes was Inshallah a Boy, the Jordanian film directed by Amjad Al Rasheed which received La Biennale di Venezia Prize – and a cash award of € 5,000. The narrative feature also walked away with a prize from El Gouna Film Festival, as well as one by the Festival International de Films de Fribourg, and secured support by Oticons, which will allow it to collaborate with international composers represented by the company. Inshallah a Boy is produced by maverick Jordan-based producer Rula Nasser for The Imaginarium Films -- as a co-production between Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The film tackles the problematic issue of women and inheritance in Jordan, an issue which is prevalent throughout the Arab world, where, due to antiquated laws, men inherit twice as much as women.
La Biennale di Venezia Prize Jury consisted of Claire Diao from Sudu Connexion, Rasha Salti of ARTE France and Gaetano Maiorino of True Colours.
Another film which won multiple awards was Karim Bensalah’s Black Light about an Algerian student in France who is facing deportation. The film is produced by Oualid Baha for Tact Production and scored prizes from Laser Film, which offers a € 15,000 award for the color correction, MAD Solutions, Sub-Ti Ltd. and Sub-Ti Access Srl, Rai Cinema and the Red Sea Fund.
Among the documentaries featured in Final Cut, Thierno Souleymane Diallo’s The Cemetery of Cinema, a France/Senegal/Guinea co-production garnered multiple awards, by the Cinémathèque Afrique of the Institut Français, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the Festival International du Film d’Amiens and Eye on Films.
Beirut-based story Suspended by Myriam El Hajj and produced by Myriam Sassine from Abbout Productions and Carine Ruszniewski at Go Go Go Films secured support from Mactari Mixing Auditorium and Titra Film, while Egyptian documentary Land of Women, co-directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir found support from Oticons and MAD Solutions. Land of Women is produced by Felucca Films, with Dolce Vita Films and Magma Films co-producing.
The eight projects which participated in this year's Final Cut were:
FICTION
Backstage by Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane (Morocco, Belgium, France, Norway, Qatar, Tunisia) -- do read our exclusive interview with the filmmakers.
Black Light (Lumière noire) by Karim Bensalah ( France, Algeria, Qatar) (France in Focus)
Inshallah a Boy by Amjad Al Rasheed (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar)
DOCUMENTARY
The Burden (Le Fardeau) by Elvis Sabin Ngaïbino (Central African Republic, France , Congo RDC)
The Cemetery of Cinema (Au cimetière de la pellicule) by Thierno Souleymane Diallo ( France, Senegal, Guinea) (France in Focus)
A Fidai Film di Kamal Aljafari (Germany, Palestine, Qatar)
Land of Women (Ard El Banat) by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir (Egypt, France, Denmark)
Suspended by Myriam El Hajj (Lebanon, France, Qatar)
