The awards were distributed during a special ceremony attended by a jury and filmmakers vying for the prizes.

The two Egyptian film projects in the post-production stage received 10 funding awards. 

Aisha Can’t Fly Away
 

The film directed by Morad Mostafa won the top prize of 5,000 euros for Best Film in post-production.

The jury described the film as “a powerful and authentic story filled with the environment's challenges and complexities."

"Despite being Mostafa's first feature film, it showcased confident direction and a distinct cinematic voice. The film’s gritty realism, attention to detail, and impactful storytelling left a strong impression on us,” they added.

The film also collected awards from Titra Film (Paris), Rai Cinema (Italy), the Cinémathèque Afrique of the Institut Français (Paris), and the Festival International de Films de Fribourg (Switzerland).

The awards aim to cover expenses such as colour-grading, the production of a DCP master, French or English subtitles, Free TV exploitation rights in the Italian territory, and the acquisition of non-commercial and non-exclusive broadcasting rights for seven years, among other channels of support.

My Father’s Scent 
 

My Father’s Scent (Egypt, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and France), directed by Mohamed Siam, has received five awards.

“It has been an amazing experience. This film was in a long array of consecutive rejections. I want to tell all my fellow filmmakers that rejection is just a moment; it passes and you end up with an award ... We are here because it just took us some time to pass this moment," Siam said during the awards ceremony.

Offered by Laser Film (Rome), Oticons, 196-MEDIA (Rome), M74 srl (Rome), and Mnemonica, the film will benefit from support that will cover expenses of the colour correction and up to 50 hours of work (technician included), services linked to the original score production, music editing and mixing, digital visual effects, and other services.

Final Cut
 

Three more titles scooped awards at the Final Cut.

These are the Lebanese film projects In This Darkness I See You, Ancestral Visions of the Future (France, Germany, and Lesotho) by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, and The Prophet (Mozambique and South Africa) by Ique Langa.

Other films that vied for prizes were Your Daughter (Egypt) by Sara Shazli and Those Who Watch Over (Belgium, France, and Qatar) by Karima Saidi.

Launched in 2013, the Final Cut in Venice is the industry programme that offers support in the completion of films from all African countries and five countries of the Middle East: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. 

The 81st Venice International Film Festival runs from 27 August to 7 September, with the Final Cut events occurring between 1 and 3 September.