Ayoub Gretaa in the role of Nour, in "The Sea Far Away" ‹ › The 21st edition of the Agadir International Film and Migration Festival concluded late Saturday evening, with the spotlight firmly on the feature film «La mer au loin», which clinched three awards, including the prestigious Grand Prize. The awards ceremony was a celebration of the film directed by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi, which also earned accolades for Best Male Performance, awarded to Ayoub Gretaa for his portrayal of the protagonist, Nour. Nour is a young Moroccan who migrates to Marseille and survives through petty crime, leading a life on the fringes of society. His world is turned upside down when he crosses paths with Serge, an unpredictable police officer, and his wife Noémie. FIFM 2024: In «La mer au loin», Saïd Hamich Benlarbi explores the struggles of exile Ayoub Gretaa was also recognized by the critics' jury as a rising star. The award, named in honor of the late Beninese director Paulin Soumanou Vieyra (1925-1987), was presented to the Franco-Palestinian film «Palestine Islands» by Julien Menanteau and Nour Ben Salem. The Best Female Performance award went to Safa Gharbaoui for her role as Aya in the Belgian film «Têtes brûlées». Tunisian director Khedija Lemkecher's «Belles de nuit» won the Best Direction award, while Dani Kouyaté's «Katanga: la valsa des scorpions» from Burkina Faso was honored for Best Screenplay. Special mentions were given to Kevin Aubert's film «Ne réveillez pas l'enfant», as well as to Ilyas Kadri in «Belles de nuit» and Soumaya Akaaboune in «Como El Viento». This year's festival, organized by the Cultural Initiative Association, showcased eight feature films and an equal number of short films in the official competition, all focusing on the theme of migration. Angola was the guest country of honor, with filmmakers from this Southern African nation participating.
