“Habibi,” a story of forbidden love, and the first fiction feature set in Gaza in over 15 years was the big winner at the 2011 Dubai International Film Festival. Habibi received the awards for Muhr Arab Feature – Best Film :Susan Youssef (Director), Muhr Arab Feature – Best Actress :Maisa Abd Elhadi (Actor / Actress), Muhr Arab Feature – Best Editor :Susan Youssef (Editor, FIPRESCI Arab Feature :Susan Youssef (Director), and Muhr Arab Feature – Best Editor :Man Kit Lam (Editor).
The film is described as a modern re-telling of the legendary tragic romance ‘Majnun Layla’, which was set in seventh century Arabia, when a poet named Qays fell in love with Layla. Driven by the intensity of his passion, Qays was known as ‘Majnun Layla’, which translates as ‘madman for Layla’. In the contemporary setting, two students in the West Bank are forced to return home to Gaza, where their love defies tradition. To reach his lover, Qays graffiti’s poetry across town.
The complete list of winners of the 2011 Dubai International Film Festival
Muhr Arab Feature
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Film
HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI)
Director: Susan Youssef
Palestine, U.S.A., Netherlands, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Feature – Special Jury Prize
AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (The LAST FRIDAY)
Director: Yahya Al Abdallah
Jordan, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Actor
AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (The LAST FRIDAY)
Actor / Actress: Ali Suliman
Jordan, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Actress
HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI)
Actor / Actress: Maisa Abd Elhadi
Palestine, U.S.A., Netherlands, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Scriptwriter
SHI GHADI OU SHI JAY (BOILING DREAMS)
Scriptwriter: Hakim Belabbes
Morocco
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Editor
HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI)
Editor: Susan Youssef
Palestine, U.S.A., Netherlands, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Editor
HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI)
Editor: Man Kit Lam
Palestine, U.S.A., Netherlands, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Cinematographer
SHI GHADI OU SHI JAY (BOILING DREAMS)
Cinematographer: Raphael Bauche
Morocco
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Composer
AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (The LAST FRIDAY)
Composer: Trio Jubran
Jordan, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Feature – Best Composer
AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (The LAST FRIDAY)
Composer: Trio Jubran
Jordan, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Documentary
Muhr Arab Documentary – First Prize
SECTOR ZERO (SECTOR ZERO)
Director: Nadim Mishlawi
Lebanon, United Arab Emirates
Muhr Arab Documentary – Special Jury Prize
HALABJA – THE LOST CHILDREN (HALABJA – THE LOST CHILDREN)
Director: Akram Hidou
Germany, Iraq, Syria
Muhr Arab Documentary – Second Prize
ICI, ON NOIE LES ALGERIENS – 17 OCTOBRE 1961 (HERE WE DROWN ALGERIANS – OCTOBER 17TH, 1961)
Director: Yasmina Adi
France
Muhr Arab Documentary – Special Mention
LA KHAOUFA BAADA AL’YAOUM (NO MORE FEAR)
Director: Mourad Ben Cheikh
Tunisia
Muhr Arab Short
Muhr Arabic Shorts – First Prize
SUR LA ROUTE DU PARADIS (THE ROAD TO PARADISE)
Director: Uda Benyamina
France
Muhr Arab Short – Special Jury Prize
BRÛLEURS (BURNERS)
Director: Farid Bentoumi ,Farid Bentoumi
France
Muhr Arab Short – Second Prize
ARD AL ABTAL (LAND OF THE HEROES)
Director: Sahim Omar Kalifa
Iraq
Muhr Arab Short – Special Mention
MAKAN YOUA’AD (A PLACE TO GO)
Director: Wajdi Elian
Lebanon
Muhr Arab Short – Special Mention
ZAFIR (BREATHE OUT)
Director: Omar El Zohairy
Egypt
Muhr Emirati
Muhr Emirati – First Prize
AMAL (AMAL)
Director: Nujoom Al Ghanem
United Arab Emirates
Muhr Emirati – Special Jury Prize
CHILDREN (CHILDREN)
Director: Mohammad Fikree
United Arab Emirates
Muhr Emirati – Second Prize
AKHIR DECEMBER (END OF DECEMBER)
Director: Hamad Al Hammadi
United Arab Emirates
Muhr Emirati – Special Mention
LONDON IN A HEADSCARF (LONDON IN A HEADSCARF)
Director: Mariam Al Serkal ,Mariam Al Serkal
United Kingdom
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Best Film
TATSUMI (TATSUMI)
Director: Eric Khoo
Singapore
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Special Jury Prize
BIR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU’DA (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA)
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Turkey
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Best Actor
KITSUTSUKI TO AME (The WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN)
Japan
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Best Actress
TÂM H?N M? (MOTHER’S SOUL)
Vietnam
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Best Scriptwriter
KITSUTSUKI TO AME (The WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN)
Scriptwriter: Shuichi Okita
Japan
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Best Editor
KITSUTSUKI TO AME (The WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN)
Editor: Takashi Sato
Japan
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Best Composer
TATSUMI (TATSUMI)
Composer: Christopher Khoo
Singapore
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Best Cinematographer
BIR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU’DA (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA)
Cinematographer: Gökhan Tiryaki
Turkey
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Special Mention
NIKINI VASSA (AUGUST DRIZZLE)
Actor / Actress: Chandani Senevirathne
Sri Lanka
Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentary
Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentaries – First Prize
IN FILM NIST (THIS IS NOT A FILM)
Director: Jafar Panahi
Iran
Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentaries – Special Jury Prize
NEGERI DI BAWAH KABUT (THE LAND BENEATH THE FOG)
Director: Shalahuddin Siregar
Indonesia
Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentaries – Second Prize
ENDING NOTE (DEATH OF A JAPANESE SALESMAN)
Director: Mami Sunada
Japan
Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentary – Special Mention
JAI BHIM COMRADE (JAI BHIM COMRADE)
Director: Anand Patwardhan
India
Muhr AsiaAfrica Short
Muhr AsiaAfrica Shorts – First Prize
MO-DEON PAE-MIL-LI (MODERN FAMILY)
South Korea
Muhr AsiaAfrica Shorts – Special Jury Prize
TINYE SO (TINYE SO)
Director: Daouda Coulibaly
Mali
Muhr AsiaAfrica Shorts – Second Prize
MEHFUZ (SAFE)
Director: Rohit Pandey
India
FIPRESCI
FIPRESCI Arab Feature
HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI)
Director: Susan Youssef
Palestine, U.S.A., Netherlands, United Arab Emirates
FIPRESCI Arab Documentary
MARCEDES (MARCEDES)
Director: Hady Zaccak
Lebanon
FIPRESCI Arab Short
SUR LA ROUTE DU PARADIS (THE ROAD TO PARADISE)
Director: Uda Benyamina
France
Human Rights Film Network
HRFN
SHOJI TO TAKAO (SHOJI & TAKAO)
Director: Yoko Ide
Japan
People Choice Awards
Du Peoples choice awards
ALS DER WEIHNACHTSMANN VOM HIMMEL FIEL (WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH)
Director: Oliver Dieckmann
Germany