release date December 02 2021
107 Mothers Wins Arab Critics’ Award for European Films
In a ceremony held at the 43rd Cairo International Film Festival, the European Film Promotion (EFP) together with the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) announced Slovak film 107 Mothers by Peter Kerekes, as winner of the Best Film award at the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films.
Marking the feature debut for Peter Kerekes, a leading director of documentary cinema, 107 Mothers is based on true stories of 107 mothers in Odessa prison in Ukraine.
Currently competing at the International Competition of Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), 107 Mothers previously won Best Screenplay at Orizzonti competition of the Venice International Film Festival, where it landed its world premiere, and Best Director at Chicago International Film Festival.
“I wanted to attend the Cairo International Film Festival this year, but due to some special circumstances, unfortunately I couldn’t. This year’s Jury witnessed 24 European films that left us in total confusion because of their good quality and the closeness in the numbers of the votes. In the end, the award went to the remarkable film 107 Mothers. I send my congratulations to the film’s creators, and my thanks to my fellow jury members for the time and effort we are exerting together for the sake of these events.” Ola Al-Sheikh, Manager of The Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films, says in a video announcing the winner.
This award is a spin-off of the ACC's renowned Critics' Awards, which aim to increase cinema variety in the region and to pique distributors' and industry participants' interest in exceptional European films. Additionally, this project intends to shine light on the illustrious cinema reviewers from a variety of Arab countries and their critical role in broadening viewpoints and bridging cultures. This year’s jury of the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films brings together 71 film critics from 15 Arab nations.
About European Film Promotion (EFP):
European Film Promotion (EFP) 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.
For more information, please visit: www.efp-online.com
About Arab Cinema Center (ACC):
Organized by MAD Solutions in 2015, 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.
About Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF):
The Cairo International Film Festival is one of the oldest and most celebrated festivals in the Arab world and Africa. It is the only festival in the Arab and African region to be accorded category “A” status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations in Paris (FIAPF).
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