Cairo, July 2018: Raed Andoni’s ‘Ghost Hunting’ has won The Golden Lighthouse prize for best
picture at the first Manarat Mediterranean Film Festival, defeating strong competition.
The film narrates the experience of Palestinian torture survivors who have passed through Israeli
detention, jail and prison.
Star Bushra Rozza, Co-founder and COO of El Gouna Film Festival, was a member of the female-
studded jury with actress Sondos Belhassen from Tunisia, actress Manal Awad from Palestine,
actress Manal Issa from Lebanon and actress Natacha Régnier from Belgium.
More than 10 feature narrative films were selected in the main competition of Manarat including
Mohammed Hammad’s ‘Withered Green’, ‘Les Bienheureux’ by Sofia Djama, ‘Men Don’t Cry’ by Alen
Drljević, ‘Summer 1993’ by Carla Simón and others.
Palestine was the guest of honour of the festival this year. A number of prominent Palestinian
directors were honoured at the closing ceremony, which took place on July 15, 2018 in Carthage.
It is worth the mention that ‘Ghost Hunting’ has picked up the top documentary prize at the 67th
annual Berlin International Film Festival.