Egyptian director Omar El Zohairy’s Feathers won the Best Arab Narrative Film at the closing ceremony of El Gouna Film Festival on Friday night, to rousing applause and cheers.
The dark comedy about a woman’s struggles after her domineering husband is turned into a chicken in a magic trick gone wrong, caused a stir during the festival on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. Following its red carpet screening earlier in the week, some alleged the film portrayed Egypt in an unfairly negative light.
“I feel so grateful. I’m so glad I’m getting this award in my country,” El Zohairy told The National after the ceremony.
The fifth edition of the festival that opened last Thursday included 75 international and regional feature narratives, short films and documentaries from 44 countries, with eight world and two international premieres.
Sixteen films competed in the feature narrative category, 10 in the documentary competition and 23 in the short films section. Together with the Cinema for Humanity audience award and the inaugural El Gouna Green Star Award, cash prizes totalled $224,000.
The winning Golden Star awards in the three main categories of Feature Narrative, Documentary and Short Film went to Finnish director Teemu Nikki’s The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic, Life of Ivanna by Renato Borrayo Serrano, and Katia from Russian director Andrey Natotcinskiy.
Within each category, there are bronze, silver and gold star awards, as well as a specific Arab film award.
American film producer Rob Allyn, president of the feature narrative jury, presented the award for Best Arab Narrative film. He described Feathers as “one director’s dystopian vision of a global dilemma, which is found on every corner of the earth expressed in the distinct hyper-reality of haunting imagery and shattering sound design.”
Upon accepting the award, El Zohairy said he “could not have imagined that there would be so much attention to something I created from my heart”.
“I’m an Egyptian director. I lived here and grew up here. I graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema in Cairo,” El Zohairy said.
He thanked all those who supported him for the film, including the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and its Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem.
Feathers was the 2021 Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prix winner and is El Zohairy’s first feature film.
Feature Narrative Golden Star winner The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic is about a blind man in a wheelchair who is in love with a woman he has never met. He decides to go visit her, completely on his own, facing enormous challenges along the way.
Called “a spellbinding tour de force” by Allyn, the film won the top prize of $50,000. It had received the Audience Award at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
Lead actor Petri Poikolainen won the El Gouna Star for Best Actor for what Allyn called “his visionary performance” that “takes us with him on a man’s extreme focused journey to hell and back”.
Maya Vanderbeque won the Best Actress award for her role as a mother in Playground, a Belgian film about bullying.
Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s Captains of Za’atari won Best Arab Documentary film. Mahmoud and Fawzi, the Syrian refugees living in Jordan’s Za’atari camp who star in the film, were able to attend the festival and accompany the filmmakers on stage.
“This award is for Mahmoud and Fawzi and every refugee in the world whose status as a citizen is taken away through no fault of their own,” El Arabi said.
Documentary Film Golden Star winner Life of Ivanna follows a mother of five children living in the Arctic region of Siberia. It won Best International Documentary film at the 2021 Zurich Film Festival.
In the short film category, Egyptian director Ahmed Abdelsalam's Cai-Ber won Best Arab Short Film. The film revolves around a young woman’s disturbing last night in Cairo before leaving on a one-way ticket to Berlin.
The Cinema for Humanity audience award, presented by El Gouna Film Festival founder Naguib Sawiris, went to Ostrov – Lost Island by Svetlana Rodina and Laurent Stoop. The documentary tells the story of the inhabitants of the island of Ostrov in the Caspian Sea, abandoned by the Russian state.
Mounia Akl’s Costa Brava, Lebanon won the inaugural El Gouna Green Star Award for raising awareness on issues related to the environment. She also won the Fipresci award for Best Debut Film.
The feature, starring Nadine Labaki, is about a free-spirited family that has escaped the pollution of Beirut to a home in the mountains, but find a rubbish landfill unexpectedly built right next to them.
Outside the film awards, Palestinian actor-director Mohammad Bakri was honoured with a Career Achievement Award in absentia. He had cancelled his trip in protest of the deportation of compatriot director Said Zagha.
Palestinian director May Odeh, whose film 200 metres won three awards at last year’s El Gouna Film Festival, received the honour on his behalf. She lamented the fact that she had to do the same for 200 metres lead actor Ali Suliman last year.
The people who got the biggest standing ovation of the night had nothing to do with the film industry – they were the firefighters, security staff, ambulance workers and others who helped contain a fire on the eve of the festival and worked overnight to fix the damage.
Samih Sawiris, the founder of El Gouna, invited four of them on stage as sped-up footage of the rebuilding effort showed on the big screen.
Organisers announced the sixth edition of the festival will take place from Thursday, October 13 to Friday, October 21, 2022.
El Gouna Film Festival 2021 – full list of winners :
Feature Narrative
- Best Arab Narrative Film ($20,000): Feathers by Omar El Zohairy
- Bronze Star ($15,000): Captain Volkonogov Escaped by Aleksey Chupov and Natalya Merkulova
- Silver Star ($25,000): Sundown by Michel Franco
- Golden Star ($50,000): The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic by Teemu Nikki
- Best Actor: Petri Poikolainen in The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic
- Best Actress: Maya Vanderbeque in Playground
Feature Documentary
- Best Arab Documentary Film ($10,000): Captains of Za’atari by Ali El Arabi
- Bronze Star ($7,500): Sabaya by Hogir Hirori
- Silver Star ($15,000): Ostrov – Lost Island by Svetlana Rodina and Laurent Stoop
- Golden Star ($30,000): Life of Ivanna by Renato Borrayo Serrano
Short Film
- Best Arab Short Film ($5,000): Cai-Ber by Ahmed Abdelsalam
- Bronze Star ($4,000): On Solid Ground by Jela Hasler
- Silver Star ($7,500): Holy Son by Aliosha Massine
- Golden Star ($15,000): Katia by Andrey Natotcinskiy
Cinema for Humanity Audience Award ($20,000)
- Ostrov – Lost Island by Svetlana Rodina and Laurent Stoop
El Gouna Green Star Award ($10,000)
- Costa Brava, Lebanon by Mounia Akl
Netpac Award
- Special Mention: Once Upon a Time in Calcutta by Aditya Vikram Sengupta
- Best Asian Film: Captain Volkonogov Escaped by Aleksey Chupov and Natalya Merkulova
Fipresci Award
- Best Debut Film: Costa Brava, Lebanon by Mounia Akl
Khaled Bichara Award for Egyptian Independent Filmmakers
- Adel by Dina Eleleimy
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
More coverage from the Future Forum
MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE%20SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Fourth-round clashes for British players
- Andy Murray (1) v Benoit Paire, Centre Court (not before 4pm)
- Johanna Konta (6) v Caroline Garcia (21), Court 1 (4pm)
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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