The winners of the Black Pearl Awards of the second annual Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) were announced last night.

The awards ceremony, organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage ADACH), was held at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

The awards were the culmination of 10 action-packed days of cinema, with 152 movies and 186 screenings shown in five Abu Dhabi venues. 

A total of 76 feature films and 34 short films from over 35 countries competed for the MEIFF 2008 Black Pearl Awards.

Winners of the $1 million MEIFF 2008 Black Pearl Awards were announced at the festival’s closing night ceremony, directed and choreographed by Otis Sallid.

Director Ridley Scott’s latest film ‘Body of Lies’ made its Middle East premiere at MEIFF’s Closing Night Gala, attended by star of the film, Michael Gaston, along with British actor Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) and well-known French actress Eva Green (Kingdom of Heaven, Casino Royal).  A host of Arabic personalities also attended including Yousra, Elham Shaeen, Solaf Fawakherji, Mostafa Shaban, Abdulaziz Al Jazem and Khaled Saleh.

MEIFF 2008 Black Pearl Award Winners:

The Black Pearl for Best Narrative Film - $200,000: Disgrace - Director: Steve Jacobs. Producers: Anna Maria Monticelli, Emile Sherman, Steve Jacobs

The Black Pearl for Best Documentary – $150,000: Stranded - Director: Gonzalo Arijon. Producer: Marc Silvera

The Black Pearl Special Jury Prize- $125,000: Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love
Director and Producer: Elisabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

The Black Pearl for Best Actress - $75,000: Fawzia: A Special Blend - Actress: Ilham Shaheen

The Black Pearl for Best Actor - $75,000: Wild Blood - Actor: Luca Zingaretti

The Black Pearl for Best Artistic Contribution - $75,000: Laila’s Birthday -
Screenwriter: Rashid Masharawi

The Black Pearl Audience Choice Award: Saving Luna - Co-Directors: Suzanne Chisholm & Michael Parfit. Producer: Suzanne Chisholm
 
The Black Pearl for Best Narrative - Short Film- $75,000: The View - Co-Directors: Hazim Bitar & Rifqi Assaf. Producer: Amman Filmmaker Cooperative

The Black Pearl for Best Documentary – Short Film- $75,000: Breadmakers -
Director: Yasmin Fedda. Producers: Jim Hickey & Robin Mitchell

The Black Pearl for Best Animation- Short Film- $75,000: Jacinta - Director: Karla Casteneda. Producer: Luis Tellez

Best Advertisement – Cultural Category - $25,000: Anti Slavery - Director: Eric Lynne. Producer: Partizan Films – Midi Minuit

Best Advertisement – Consumer Category -  $25,000: Battle - Director: Traktor. Producer: Partizan Films – Midi Minuit

Best Advertisement – Artistic Contribution - $25,000 - Great Pretender - Director: Patrick Bergh. Producer: Partizan Films – Midi Minuit

The Black Pearl for Best Narrative – Student Films – $25,000 – Illusion - Director: Burhan Qurbani. Producer: Fabian Gasmia

The Black Pearl for Best Emerging Filmmaker – Student Films- $25,000 - Lullaby
Director: Serena Abi Aad. Producer: IESAV

The Black Pearl for Best Animation – Student Films – $25,000 – Adherent - Director: Julian Nazario Vargas. Producer: Rube Baggerud – TradeArabia News Service