30/10/2020 - Sameh Alaa’s film, produced by Egypt and France among other countries, was crowned on the Croisette by a jury which also awarded four female directors in the Cinéfondation Selection

Director Sameh Alaa with his short film Palme d’Or for I Am Afraid To Forget Your Face (© Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images/Festival de Cannes)

Concluding the three-day event called "Cannes 2020 Special: the Festival returns to the Croisette!" which unfolded from 27 to 29 October (just before the start of another month of lockdown in France) and allowed the team of  Pierre Lescure and Thierry Frémaux an emotional return to the Grand Théâtre Lumière of the Palais des Festivals, the winners in the short film competition and in the Cinéfondation student films competition of the 73^rd Cannes Film Festival have been revealed.

The jury, composed of actress Céline Salette and of directors Dea Kulumbegashvili and Claire Burger as well as producer Charles Gillibert, filmmaker Rachid Bouchareb and actor Damien Bonnard, has given the short film Palme d’Or to I Am Afraid To Forget Your Face from Egyptian director Sameh Alaa.

The 15-minute film centres on Adam who, having been apart from his lover for 82 days, is ready to do anything to return to her. The production brings together Egypt (40% - Figleaf Studio), France (40% - Les Cigognes Films), Belgium (10%) and Qatar (10%). Sales are handled by Polish company New Europe Film Sales.

In the 23rd edition of the Cinéfondation student film competition, the jury awarded four female directors, giving the First Prize to Indian director Ashmita Guha Neogi, the Second to Polish director Yelyzaveta Pysmak and the third to be shared by Romanian director Lucia Chicos and German director Elsa Rosengren.

It is worth noting that, during the three days of Cannes 2020 Special, four features from the 2020 Official Selection were also screened: Beginning [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dea Kulumbegashvili
film profile] from Georgian director Dea Kulumbegashvili, True Mothers from Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase, French Tech [+see also:
trailer
film profile] from French director Bruno Podalydès and The Big Hit [+see also:
trailer
film profile] from French director Emmanuel Courcol.

The full list of award winners:

Short Film Competition

Palme d’Or
I Am Afraid To Forget Your Face - Sameh Alaa

Awards of the 23rd Cinéfondation Selection

First Prize
Catdog - Ashmita Guha Neogi (Film and Television Institute of India – India)

Second Prize
My Fat Arse and I (Ja i moja gruba dupa) - Yelyzaveta Pysmak (The Polish National Film School in Lodz – Poland)

Third Prize (ex-aequo)
Contraindications (Contraindicatii) - Lucia Chicos (UNATC "I. L. CARAGIALE" – Romania)
I Want To Return Return - Elsa Rosengren (DFFB – Germany)

(Translated from French)