Gazi Maǧusa film-makers scooped the Best Newcomers awards at Thursday’s closing night gala for the first Golden Island International Film Festival (Giiff).
Kamil Saldun and Sholeh Zahrai took an award for their Olive Tree at the Border short, as did 19-year-old Arınç Arısoy for his animation Evolution.
A total of 8,000 Euros was won by contestants across four categories.
Süleyman Erol, general manager of the main festival sponsors Creditwest Bank, presented the awards at Le Chateau Lambousa Hotel in Lapta with his colleague Mazhar Zaheer.
Best documentary went to Ahmad Albakri for his film Borderless.
Best Short Feature was won by film-making duo Fardad Mottarjemi and Kürșat Sekmen for the film Eksik (Absent).
Festival director Yeșim Güzelpinar said: “Despite a few glitches it has gone really well. We have done plenty of networking.”
The film Beyond Borders, which was shot in the North and South Cyprus and the buffer zone by a visiting group of Erasmus scholarship students, was screened during the gala.
Giiff volunteer Peter Wills said: “Some screenings were not well attended.”
Three Lemar cinemas, buffer zone organisations and universities screened the festival programme from November 7-13.
Mr Wills added: “We did some research about cinema-going here and found that many people don’t bother to go to the cinema and quite a lot had no idea what was on.”
Ms Güzelpinar said: “We have new project ideas and partners as far away as Trabzon. It has been a very positive trip which has showcased young talent and also North Cyprus as a beautiful location.”
“Many film directors are now interested and the festival will definitely go ahead next year.”
The head of the UK-based Balık Arts community organisation added: “Many visitors didn’t know anything about the island-not even that it was divided.”
By Anne Canalp, Cyprus Today.
