The female performance awards were exceptionally awarded to two actresses: Manar Shehab and Wafaa Aoun, for their poignant roles in “Happy Holidays”. The double tribute to the actresses underlines the quality and relevance of their performances.
The winners of this edition also highlighted other notable works. The jury prize was awarded “ex aequo to La Quinta (The Cottage)” by Argentinian Silvina Schnicer and “The Village Next to Paradise” by Somali director Mo Harawe. The directing prize was awarded to Damian Kocur for his film “Under the Volcano” (Poland), which also allowed Roman Lutskyi to win the male actor prize for his moving performance.
It should be noted that the jury, chaired by Italian director Luca Guadagnino, was made up of nine prestigious personalities from the four corners of the world, representing six continents. In addition to Guadagnino, the jury members included Iranian director Ali Abbasi, Indian director Zoya Akhtar, American actress Patricia Arquette, Belgian actress Virginie Efira, Australian actor Jacob Elordi, British-American actor Andrew Garfield, Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda and Argentinian director Santiago Mitre. Together, they debated and selected the works that stood out for their originality, their commitment and the richness of their narration.
Note also that this edition was marked by the fervor of the public and which recorded the record number of 40,000 spectators in the cinemas, including 7,500 children and adolescents as part of the Young Audience and Family operation.
Canada
