Zeki Demirkubuz

Source: Mediterrane Film Festival

Zeki Demirkubuz’s feature ‘Life’ won Best Feature Film at the Mediterrane Film Festival’s Golden Bee Awards

Turkish director Zeki Demirkubuz’s Life won the best feature film prize at the second annual Mediterrane Film Festival’s Golden Bee Awards in Malta this weekend.  

Mahdi Fleifel’s To A Land Unknown won the Jury’s Choice prize, while The Strangers’ Case picked up two awards: best director for Brandt Andersen and best acting for Yasmine Al-Massri. 

Mike Leigh received the festival’s career achievement award, while veteran Maltese production coordinator Rita Galea, whose credits include World War Z, received a lifetime achievement award.

The main competition jury was comprised of Jon S. Baird, Margery Simkin, Mario Philip Azzopardi, Nathan Crowley, Pedro Luque, Richie Mehta and Tim Miller.

The Mediterrane Film Festival programme presented 15 films in its main competition; seven out of competition films with an additional 10 in the Malta Expanded offering section; seven films in its environment-themed Mare Nostrum section; and 14 immersive projects in the Future Visions section, selected by interactive story architect Michel Reilhac.

Mediterrane 2024 winners

Best feature film: Zeki Demirkubuz for Life (Turkey)

Jury’s choice: Mahdi Fleifel for To A Land Unknown (Palestine; France)

Best director: Brandt Andersen for The Strangers’ Case (Jordan)

Best screenplay: Stéphane Brizé, Marie Drucker for Out Of Season (France)

Best acting: Yasmine Al-Massri for The Strangers’ Case (Jordan)

Best production design: Myrte Beltman for Sweet Dreams (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Best cinematography: Carlos Alfonso Corral for The Damned (Italy)