The 16th Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts Successfully Closed

Successfully Launched the 1st Ismailia Co-production Platform

The 16th Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts Successfully Closed

Ismailia city has witnessed the closing ceremony of the 16th installment of Ismailia International FilmFestival for Documentaries and Shorts. The festival's installment this year has witnessed a heated competition between the participating films and many guests from across the world were hosted. Scriptwriter and Producer Mohamed Hefzy, the appointed Festival Director, revealed that his collaboration with the festival's adminstartion as the Festival Director has been completed, and he didn't confirm yet if he was to preserve the same position in the festival's adminstartion for another year or not.

The guest list included a group of major Filmmakers and professional experts in documentary and short filmmaking such as Daniel Ziskind, Filmmaker and Festival Programmer Khalil Benkirane, Tunisian Producer Nadim Cheikhrouka, whose films have reaped several international awards, Producer ManagerClaudia Romdhane, who has also programmed the Arab Film Festival in Berlin; Paul Baboudijan, Executive Director of Screen Institute Beirut, Jad Abi Khalil from Docmed, Egypian Director and Producer Amira Mashhour, Founder of Red Carpet Productions. Scriptwriter and Art Director Yehia Raggad, founder of the first Arab Film Distribution in Tunisia in 2012 was also present as well as Mohamed Ossama El Sheikh from MBC Group, Karim Gamal El Din and Mona Asaad from Studio Misr, Tunisian Karim Al Ramady Founder of Link Production and Days of New Tunisia, which began in Canada 2011 and promotes filmmaking, arts and music, Antoine Khalifa, Manager of International Relations at Dubai International Film Festival and Special Advisor to ART corporation and Beirut Cinema Days and Festival and Marketing Coordinator at MC Distribution Jessica Khouri, who is also an Art Director and Producer with wide experience in film production and distribution.

The official closing ceremony of the 16th Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts was held at the Ismailia Culture Palace. The ceremony was attended by Ismailia Governor Gamal Embaby, Kamal Abdel Aziz Festival President and Director of the National Cinema Center, Festival Director Mohamed Hefzy, who's also a Scriptwriter and Producer, and a number of Egyptian and Arab Filmmakers. The event was presented by Egyptian Actor Khaled Abul Naga.

Awards of Long Documentary Film Competition were announced by Egyptian Director Tahani Rachid, the Jury President. Lebanese documentary World Not Ours by Director Mahdi Fleifl won Best Long Documentary Film award, and Italian- Spanish production Lion Souls by Manu Gerosa and Salva Monozwon the Jury Prize. The Short Documentary award went to Iranian Mashti Ismael by Mahdi Zamanpour Kiasari, and the Jury Prize was received by Egyptian documentary Catharsis: a Self Portrait by Alia Aymen.

The Short Fiction and Animation Competition awards were announced by the Jury President Michelle Driguez. Romanian film Solitude by Liova Jidlicki won Best Short Film Prize, Iranian Glimmer by Director Abdurrahman Oner won the Jury Prize, however the Estonian film Time Won't Stop by Monika Siimets won a Special Mention.

As for the Animation Competition, the Polish production Toto by Zbigniew Czapla won the Best Animation award. Dance Macabre by Matgorzata Rzanek from Poland won the Jury Prize, however the Egyptian animation Two by Mukhtar Talaat received a Special Mention.

ACT Prize for Best Women's Film was received by the Turkish film Vanished into the Blue, Two byMukhtar Talaat won Best Arab Film award from the Egyptian Animation Society, Rew Day won Best Foreign Film Award, Mohamed Saved from the Water won Al Jazeera Documentary Prize, while theEgyptian Film Critics Association Prize was granted to Sleepless nights.

The Ismailia festival has launched this year the 1st Ismailia Co-production Platform, and Jury PresidentViola Shafik announced that Cinema Wahbe by Syrian Director Nedal Al Dabs won Development Prize of $5000 from the American University in Cairo.

Post Production Prize from Studio Misr was received by I Saw Harassment by Samaher El Kadi andKarim El Hakim. The prize is 50,000 Egyptian pounds worth sound mixing services at Studio Misr.Saken by Sandra Madi won Orma Solutions' Post-production Prize of color correction services.

Egyptian Director Tahani Rached together with Italian Director and Producer Gian Vittorio Baldi were festival honorees this year as they were given a tribute at the closing ceremony. The event was covered by Nile Cinema and Sky News Arabia, and the ceremony was followed by a concert by the local bandLike Jelly.

Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts Awards

The Long Documentary Film Competition

- Best Long Documentary Film award / Lebanese documentary World Not Ours
- Jury Prize / Italian- Spanish production Lion Souls
- Short Documentary Award / Iranian Film Mashti Ismael
- Jury Prize / Egyptian documentary Catharsis: a Self Portrait

The Short Fiction and Animation Competition

- Best Short Film Prize / Romanian film Solitude
- Jury Prize / Iranian film Glimmer
- Special Mention / Estonian film Time Won't Stop

The Animation Competition

- Best Animation award / Toto
- Jury Prize / Dance Macabre
- Special Mention / Egyptian animation Two
- ACT Prize for Best Women's Film / Turkish film Vanished into the Blue
- Best Arab Film award from the Egyptian Animation Society / Two
- Best Foreign Film Award / Rew Day
- Al Jazeera Documentary Priz / Mohamed Saved from the Water
- Egyptian Film Critics Association Prize / Sleepless nights

Ismailia Co-production Platform

- Development Prize / Cinema Wahbe
- Post Production Prize / I Saw Harassment
- Orma Solutions' Post-production Prize / Saken