43rd Cairo International Film Festival closes with Mexican film winning top award
December 6, 2021, 2:48 pm

43rd Cairo International Film Festival closes with Mexican film winning top award

Movie theater/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported, Mexican film The Hole in the Fence, directed by Joaquin del Paso, won the top Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film out of 15 films contesting in the International Competition of the 43rd Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), which concluded on Sunday evening with a festive gala at Egypt's Cairo Opera House.

The 100-minute fiction tells a story taking place at a secluded summer camp in the Mexican countryside, where boys from a prestigious private school receive physical, moral and religious training to become tomorrow's elite. However, the discovery of a mysterious hole in the perimeter fence triggers a series of disturbing events.

Del Paso said that he didn't expect "this big prize" in his first participation in the CIFF.

The Mexican filmmaker told Xinhua while holding the award, hoping to join future CIFF editions: "It means the film has made a connection with the audience."

Representative image-Clapboard/Pixabay

The Golden Pyramid winner added: "I think it's a very high-level festival. It really has an amazing selection, which is ultimately the most important for a film festival - to have a great selection. And the guests that are here and the people that are involved are really knowledgeable about the present time of cinema in the world."

The Silver Pyramid, Special Jury Award for Best Director, was awarded to Italian director Laura Samani for her film Small Body and the Bronze Pyramid Award for Best First or Second Feature of a Director went to South Korean director Hong Seong-eun for his Aloners.

Also under the International Competition, the Best Actor Award was presented to Egypt's Mohamed Mamdouh for his performance in Abu Saddam and the Best Actress Award was won by Italy's Swamy Rotolo for her role in A Chiara, while Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Screenplay was given to Slovak Peter Kerekes and Ivan Ostrochovsky for 107 Mothers and Henry Barakat Award for Best Artistic Contribution was awarded to Spain's Jose Angel Alayon for the cinematography of They Carry Death.

As for the International Short Film Competition, where 22 works raced, Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film was awarded to Tunisia's Blind Spot by Lotfi Achour and the Special Jury Award was shared by Lebanon's Then Came Dark by Marie-Rose Osta and Egypt's It's Nothing Nagy, Just Hang up! by Youhanna Nagy.

"I've been joining the festival over the past six or seven years as an audience but to hold one of the festival's prizes this time is something unimaginable to me," Nagy, whose film is about virtual communication under COVID-19 lockdown, said.

The other official competitions include the Horizons of Arab Cinema and the International Critics' Week.

In the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition, Lebanon's Memory Box by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige won the best film award, Lebanon's Fiasco by Nicolas Khoury got the special jury award, Egypt's From Cairo by Hala Galal achieved the best non-fiction film award and Tunisian actress Afef Ben Mahmoud won the best acting performance award for her part in Streams.

The two prizes of the International Critics' Week Competition were awarded to Wild Roots by Hungarian director Hajni Kis and The Stranger by Syrian filmmaker Ameer Fakher Eldin, which also won best Arab film in another section.

Several other films got prizes outside the official sections of the festival, which screened this year over 100 films from more than 60 countries.

CIFF President Mohamed Hefzy told Xinhua, according to the box office, the tickets sold for screened films in the 43rd CIFF exceeded 42,000, which is 10 percent higher than those of the 41st edition.

Hefzy added: "In general, the films this year were of a very good quality including those that didn't win prizes, and I commend the festival's technical committee for these selections."

Held from Nov. 26 to Dec. 5 under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the festival's closing ceremony was attended by Egypt's Culture Minister Inas Abdel-Dayem and director of France's Cannes International Film Festival Thierry Fremaux.

Source: xinhua

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.