At the 40th edition of the Mostra de València – Cinema del Mediterrani, the Official Selection of which saw stories of migration and female protagonists take centre stage, the list of award winners did not overlook either of these aspects. This was borne out by the jury – presided over by Valencian actress Glòria March – with its verdict at the festival’s closing gala, held on Sunday 2 November. The Egyptian film Aisha Can't Fly Away [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Morad Mostafa
scheda film] scooped the top prize, the Golden Palm, with €30,000 going to the production team and €15,000 going to its Spanish distributor. It marks the feature debut by Morad Mostafa and centres on a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver in Cairo, caught between an ambiguous relationship with a young Egyptian cook and the threats of a gangster who is blackmailing her.

The protagonist of the other major winner is also a migrant: Pieces of a Foreign Life by Franco-Syrian filmmaker Gaya Jiji, which picked up the Silver Palm (worth €20,000) and Best Actress for Zar Amir. Best Direction, meanwhile, also went to a woman: Turkish director Gözde Kural, whose Cinema Jazireh [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Gözde Kural
scheda film] follows an Afghan woman who survives the massacre of her family and sets off in search of her missing son. Best Screenplay was awarded to Erige Sehiri, Anna Ciennik and Malika Cécile Louati for the Tunisian production Promised Sky [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Erige Sehiri
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Portugal scored a double win thanks to First Person Plural [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sandro Aguilar
scheda film] by Sandro Aguilar, which took home the trophies for Best Cinematography (for Rui Xavier) and Best Actor (for Albano Jerónimo). Best Original Score went to Greece's Babis Papadopoulos for the soundtrack to Broken Vein by Yannis Economides, which also landed the Best Poster Award, presented for the first time at the festival.

One of the evening’s most emotional moments was the presentation of the Honorary Palm to Fernando Bovaira, a key figure in contemporary Spanish production, who received the statuette from Alejandro Amenábar, with whom he has built much of his career, and who introduced him as “a wonderful champion of auteurs’ voices”.

La Cabina, the section dedicated to medium-length films, also handed out its accolades: first prize went to A Sky So Low by Joachim Michaux, which captures the New Beat fever in Brussels in 1989; while the Jury Mention went to Fanny à la plage by Raphaëlle Petit-Gille, about the impossible desires of a mother with two small children.

Meanwhile, the new Xaloc section granted its award via audience vote: the City of València Audience Award went to The Voice of Hind Rajab [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Kaouther Ben Hania
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Here is the full list of award winners:

Official Section

Golden Palm
Aisha Can't Fly Away [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Morad Mostafa
scheda film] – Morad Mostafa (Egypt/Sudan/Tunisia/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France/Germany)

Silver Palm
Pieces of a Foreign Life – Gaya Jiji (France/Belgium)

Best Director
Gözde Kural – Cinema Jazireh [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Gözde Kural
scheda film] (Turkey/Iran/Bulgaria/Romania)

Best Screenplay
Erige Sehiri, Anna Ciennik, Malika Cécile Louati – Promised Sky [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Erige Sehiri
scheda film] (France/Tunisia)

Best Actress
Zar Amir – Pieces of a Foreign Life

Best Actor
Albano Jerónimo – First Person Plural [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sandro Aguilar
scheda film] (Portugal/Italy)

Best Cinematography
Rui Xavier - First Person Plural

Best Original Score
Babis Papadopoulos – Broken Vein (Greece)

Best Poster
Broken Vein – Yannis Economides

La Cabina Section

First Prize
A Sky So Low – Joachim Michaux (Belgium/France)

Jury Mention
Fanny à la plage – Raphaëlle Petit-Gille (France)

Other awards

City of València Audience Award
The Voice of Hind Rajab [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Kaouther Ben Hania
scheda film] – Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia/France)

Honorary Palm
Sol Carnicero
Fernando Bovaira