MEIFF closes with Black Pearl Awards
The Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) in Abu Dhabi concluded yesterday with a ceremony to present the Black Pearl Awards. For the second time in ten days, a line-up of world-wide film stars graced the red carpet at the Emirates Palace Hotel. In attendance were Naomi Watts (Mullholland Drive, 29 Grams), Eva Medes (Hitch,We Own the Night), Orlando Bloom (Troy, Pirates of the Caribbean), Jane Fonda, and Maggie Q, amongst many of the Middle East’s own celebrities.
Above is a trailer for Hipsters one of the winners of the Black Pearl Awards:
Narrative Feature Competition
Best Narrative Film ($100,000) – Hipsters (Stilyagi), directed by Valery Todorovsky (Russia)
Best New Narrative Director ($50,000) – Glendyn Ivin, Last Ride (Australia)
Best Middle Eastern Narrative Film ($100,000) – The Time That Remains (Al Zaman Al Baqi), directed by Elia Suleiman (Palestine, UK, Italy, Belgium, France)
Best New Middle Eastern Narrative Director ($50,000) – Pelin Esmer, 10 to 11 (11’e 10 Kala), Turkey, France, Germany
Best Actor ($25,000) – Hamed Behdad, No One Knows About Persian Cats, directed by Bahman Ghobadi (Iran)
Best Actress ($25,000) – Alicia Laguna and Sonia Couoh, Northless (Norteado), directed by Rigoberto Pérezcano (Mexico)
Documentary Feature Competition
Best Documentary Film ($100,000) – The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Khan, A Torch for Peace, directed by T. C. McLuhan (Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, USA)
Best New Documentary Director ($50,000) – Johan Grimonprez, Double Take (Netherlands, Belgium)
Best Middle Eastern Documentary Film ($100,000) – On the Way to School (?ki Dil Bir Bavul), directed by Orhan Eskiköy and Özgür Do?an (Turkey)
Best New Middle Eastern Documentary Director ($50,000) – Mohamed Zran, Being Here (Zarzis), Tunisia
Short Film Competition
Best Narrative Short ($25,000) – The Six Dollar Fifty Man, directed by Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland (New Zealand)
Best Documentary Short ($25,000) – Wagah, directed by Supriyo Sen and Najaf Bilgrami (Pakistan, India, Germany)
Best Middle Eastern Short ($25,000) – Tripoli, Quiet (Trablos Al?Hada), directed by Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia (Lebanon)
Best Student Short – First Prize ($15,000) – Anna, directed by Runar Runarsson (Denmark)
Best Student Short – Second Prize ($10,000) – Kasia, directed by Elisabet Llado (Belgium)
Best Student Short – Third Prize ($5,000) – Schautag, directed by Marvin Kren (Germany)
