Fez — Egyptian director Yasser Shafiei’s “Complaint No. 713317” won the Grand Prize at the closing ceremony of the seventh Casablanca Arab Film Festival on Friday evening.
The film also earned Egyptian actor Mahmoud Hemida the Best Actor award, giving the production two of the event’s most prominent honors.
In the feature film competition, the Special Jury Prize went to Iraqi director Zahrae Ghandour’s “Flana.” Moroccan filmmaker Yassine Fenane received the Best Screenplay award for “Les Fourmis.”
Tunisian actress Zineb El Malki was named Best Actress for her performance in “Je cherche Ayda,” while Saudi director Ali Saeed’s “Anti-cinéma” received a special mention.
Morocco secured another prize through Salem Ballal’s “Le Lac des orphelins,” which was named Best Documentary Film.
Egyptian cinema leads the short film awards
Egypt also claimed the top honor in the short film competition. Marwan El Shafie’s “I Owe You a Touch” received the Grand Prize.
The Best Cinematography award went to the Syrian film “My Name Is Hope,” directed by Sherwan Haji. Iraqi filmmaker Murthada Harz Al Yasry won Best Screenplay for “Noé,” while Egyptian director Mohamed Taher’s “32B” received a special mention.
The awards reflected the geographical range of the festival’s program, with winning productions representing Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia.
Eight days of Arab cinema
The seventh edition ran from July 17 to 24 and brought together 29 films in official competition. The selection included 12 feature films and 17 short films, in addition to screenings presented outside the competition.
Festival President Fatima Nouali said the event achieved its objectives through eight days of screenings, discussions, and meetings between audiences and filmmakers.
She noted that the conversations organized throughout the week responded to the public’s interest in understanding both acting and the wider filmmaking process.
The closing ceremony also honored Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch for his contribution to cinema. The feature film jury was chaired by Palestinian director Rachid Masharawi, while Egyptian actress Samah Anwar led the short film jury.
By rewarding intimate dramas, documentaries, and short productions from across the region, the festival reinforced Casablanca’s growing role as a meeting place for Arab filmmakers and audiences.
