El Gouna Film Festival continues to build on a number of collaborations it has initiated to empower Arab filmmakers, especially at events and festivals outside the Arab world, and support projects and films at various stages to enhance co-production and distribution opportunities. As part of Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) Market Forum 2019; GFF is happy to announce the winner of its $5000 cash prize: Before It’s Too Late by Tunisian director Majdi Lakhdar. 

The MAFF Market Forum (MMF) is a unique platform for the Nordic and Arab film industries designed to stimulate collaboration, co-production and distribution opportunities. 

The fifth edition of the MAFF Market Forum received more than 54 projects in development and 45 films in post-production submitted from Arab countries, Sweden and Northern Europe. This year, 22 projects and films were selected to compete for the market forum awards, and the complete list of winners is as follows: 

Short films in development phase:

-Film Centrum award of SEK 30,000 worth of editing services presented to Habib and the Thief, (Arab-Swedish Producer and Director: Naures Sager, Country: Sweden)

-Luxor African Film Festival award of $2000 presented to Repression  (Arab Producer: Abed Lotfi, Director: Mike Malajalian, Country: Lebanon)

-Film I Skane award of SEK 30,000 presented to A Resume (Arab-Swedish Producer and Director: Bassem Nabhan, Country: Sweden)

Feature documentary in development phase:

-Swedish Film Institute award of SEK 75,000 presented to Looking for Saada (Arab Producer: Rashid Masharawi, Swedish Producer: Linda Mutawi, Director: Areen Omari, Country: Palestine) 

Feature fiction film in development phase:

-Swedish Film Institute award of SEK 150,000 presented to The Sea Needs to Heave (Arab Producer: Alaa Alasad, Swedish Producer: Helene Granqvist, Director: Zain Duraie, Country: Jordan)

Feature documentaries in post-production phase:

-Team One Productions award of $2,000 worth of sound design, mixing and editing services presented to Captains of Zaatari (Producers: Dina Emam and Aya Dowara, Director: Ali El-Arabi, Countries: Jordan, Egypt)

-The General Union of Arab Artists award of $2,000 presented to Suspended Wives (Producer: Karim Aitouna, Director: Mariam Addou, Country: Morocco)

-Imaginarium award of $3,000 presented to Their Algeria (Producer: Marie Balducchi, Director: Lina Soualem, Countries: Algeria, France)

Feature fiction films in post-production phase:

- Red Star award of $3,000 presented to Mica (Producer: Lamia Chraibi, Director: Ismael Ferroukhi, Countries: Morocco, France)

- Team One Productions award of $3,000 presented to For the Cause ( Producers: Hassan Benjelloun and Rachida Saadi, Director: Hassan Benjelloun, Country: Morocco)

-The Cell Post Production award of $10,000 worth of editing services presented to Mica (Producer: Lamia Chraibi, Director: Ismael Ferroukhi, Countries: Morocco, France)

-The Cell Post Production award of $10,000 worth of color grading services presented to Mica, Producer: Lamia Chraibi, Director: Ismael Ferroukhi, Countries: Morocco, France)

- El Gouna Film Festival award of $5,000 presented to Before It’s Too Late (Producer: Mohammed Ali ben Hamra, Director: Majdi Lakhdar, Country: Tunisia)

- Leyth Production award of $12,000 worth of sound mixing services for 15 days presented to State of Agitation (Producers: Elie Khalife, Nicolas Khabbaz, and Mahmoud Karak, Director: Elie Khalife, Country: Lebanon)

-MAD Solutions award of $20,000 worth of distribution and marketing to The Women in Block J (Producer: Rachida Saadi, Director: Mohammed Nadif, Country: Morocco)