Palestinian-Israeli study snares top MEIFF prize

Palestinian director Elia Suleiman.

Al Zaman Al Baqi (The Time that Remains), an Arabic tragicomedy from Palestinian director Elia Suleiman, has taken out this year’s Black Pearl Award for Best Middle Eastern Narrative Film at the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) in Abu Dhabi.

The film, which examines the creation of Israel in 1948 and the ensuing years of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, has earned rave reviews since its release in August and Suleiman $100,000 for his troubles at MEIFF.

Seventeen narrative features, 14 documentary features, 25 shorts, and 10 student shorts competed for Black Pearl Awards.

This year’s full list of winners are as below:

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Narrative Feature Competition
Black Pearl Award for Best Narrative Film ($100,000) – Hipsters (Stilyagi), directed by Valery Todorovsky (Russia)

Black Pearl Award for Best New Narrative Director ($50,000) – Glendyn Ivin, Last Ride (Australia)

Black Pearl Award for Best Middle Eastern Narrative Film ($100,000) – The Time That Remains (Al Zaman Al Baqi), directed by Elia Suleiman (Palestine, UK, Italy, Belgium, France)

Black Pearl Award for Best New Middle Eastern Narrative Director ($50,000) – Pelin Esmer, 10 to 11 (11’e 10 Kala), Turkey, France, Germany

Black Pearl Award for Best Actor ($25,000) – Hamed Behdad, No One Knows About Persian Cats, directed by Bahman Ghobadi (Iran)

Black Pearl Award for Best Actress ($25,000) – Alicia Laguna and Sonia Couoh, Northless (Norteado), directed by Rigoberto Pérezcano (Mexico)

Jury Special Mention – Northless (Norteado), directed by Rigoberto Pérezcano (Mexico)

Documentary Feature Competition
Black Pearl Award for Best Documentary Film ($100,000) – The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Khan, A Torch for Peace, directed by T. C. McLuhan (Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, USA)

Black Pearl Award for Best New Documentary Director ($50,000) – Johan Grimonprez, Double Take (Netherlands, Belgium)

Black Pearl Award for Best Middle Eastern Documentary Film ($100,000) – On the Way to School (İki Dil Bir Bavul), directed by Orhan Eskiköy and Özgür Doğan (Turkey)

Black Pearl Award for Best New Middle Eastern Documentary Director ($50,000) – Mohamed Zran, Being Here (Zarzis), Tunisia

Jury Special Mention – The Age of Stupid, directed by Franny Armstrong (UK)