Thank You for Banking With Us, written and directed by Laila Abbas, won the Grand Prize in the Feature Film Competition.
The film follows Mariam and Noura, who discover that their father left a huge sum of money behind after his death.
They come up with an elaborate scheme to abscond with the money before their brother, who is legally entitled to half the inheritance, finds out about their father’s death.
Clara Khoury, an American actress of Palestinian origin, who portrays Maryam in the film, won the Best Actress award.
The film also stars Yasmine Al-Massri, Kamel El-Basha, and Ashraf Barhoum.
Among numerous recognitions, Khoury attracted particular attention for her role in the comedy-drama In Jerusalem, Love Has Many Roadblocks (Al-Quds fee Yom Akhar, 2002), directed by Hany Abu-Assad.
The film, also screened under Rana's Wedding, was nominated for the Critics' Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2002.
The awards scored in Casablanca add to the many other recognitions that Thank You for Banking With Us garnered over the past months.
The film won the Silver Alexander for Best Director at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Golden Star at the El Gouna Film Festival, and the Bader Best Feature Film Award at the Ajyal Film Festival.
It also won the Best Feature Fiction award at Beirut International Women Film Festival and the Best Screenplay award at Malmö Arab Film Festival, among others.
This was not the only Palestinian win at the festival's sixth edition.
Maha Haj's short film Upshot won Best Screenplay at the Short Film Competition.
The film follows a couple who are withdrawing from the world and carefully constructing a fantasy life.
An uninvited guest jeopardizes their reality, bringing forth a devastating revelation from their past.
The film stars Mohammad Bakri, Amer Hlehel, and Areen Omari.
Short link: