Rabat – The Somali feature film “The Village Next to Paradise,” directed by Mo Harawe, won the Grand Prix “Ousmane Sembene” at the 25th edition of the Khouribga International African Film Festival (FICAK), held in Morocco. 

This year’s festival brought together 350 filmmakers from 45 countries. Under the theme “From Griot to Algorithm: Cinema in Transition,” it also explored the growing impact of artificial intelligence on storytelling, creative professions, and African cultural narratives.

The closing ceremony took place Saturday evening in the presence of filmmakers, officials, and cultural figures from across the continent.

The film was praised for its emotional sincerity and minimalist storytelling, and stood out among fifteen feature films in competition. It also received the African Film Critics’ Award for artistic merit and thematic depth.

In the same category, the Jury Prize “Nour Eddine Saïl” went to “Empreintes du Vent” by Moroccan director Layla Triqui, while the Best Director Award “Idrissa Ouédraogo” was awarded to “Radia” by Khaoula Assebab Benomar, also from Morocco. 

Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako received the Best Screenplay Award “Samir Farid” for “Black Tea.”

Performance awards were given to Tunisian actress Sara Hanachi (Le Pont) for Best Actress, and to Ben Mahmoud Mboow (Demba) for Best Actor.

In the short film category, the Grand Prix “Najib Ayad” was awarded to “Chikha,” co-directed by Ayoub Layoussifi and Zahoua Raji (Morocco). The Jury Prize “Paulin Soumanou Vieyra” went to “Noce d’eau” by Beninese filmmaker Aurielle Jioya.

“Rise” (Libya), directed by Osama Rezg, won the Federation of Pan-African Film and Television Festivals Prize. This award was created this year to highlight the festival’s openness to emerging cinema networks across the continent.

Additionally, “Le Pont” by Tunisian director Walid Mattar received the “Don Quichotte” Prize from the National Federation of Film Clubs in Morocco (FNCCM), and “Casa-Dakar” by Moroccan director Ahmed Boulane received a special mention.

Festival director Iz-Eddine Gourirran noted that this 25th edition marked a significant milestone, celebrating a quarter century of support for African cinema and intercultural dialogue. 

He highlighted the importance of resilience, creativity, and inclusion, especially in light of global challenges facing filmmakers.

The closing ceremony also paid tribute to Moroccan cinema figure Omar Sayed, and featured musical and artistic performances.