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THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE wins five big awards at Austrian Film Awards
15 June 2025
THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE, a critically acclaimed Somali feature by Mo Hawarre, recently won five top awards at Austria Film Festival, and those include; Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Casting to Mohamed Mohamud Jamal , and Best Cinematography to Mostafa El Kashef.
The Austrian Film Awards, held by the Austrian Film Academy, took place on the 12th of June.
THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE began its journey with a bang, premiering as part of the Official Selection in the 77th Cannes Film Festival, making history as the first film shot in Somalia ever selected for the festival. It was summarily nominated for both the prestigious Camera d'Or and Un Certain Regard awards.
It was later selected as part of the Centerpiece program for the Toronto International Film Festival, alongside more than 40 films from 41 countries.
The film went on to screen worldwide, with its MENA (Middle East and North Africa) premiere at the Marrakech International Film Festival, and was also screened at South Africa’s Durban International Film Festival and Australia’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
So far, the film has won over ten awards, including; a Gold Hugo Award for New Directors at the Chicago International Film Festival, Best Austrian Film at the Vienna Film Awards, Best Actress to Anab Ahmed Ibrahim at the Sarajevo Film Festival, a Special Mention at the Munich Film Festival, and Best Film at Cork International Film Festival.
Set in an idyllic seaside Somali village, a family must navigate between their goals and the complexities of societal expectations. Viewers are treated to the charming thrum of the village, as they are immersed in the lives of residents pursuing their dreams against the rolling tides.
It stars Anab Ahmed Ibrahim, Ahmed Ali Farah, and Ahmed Mohamud Saleban.
The film is an international co-production between Mamal Productions of Somalia, Freibeuter Films of Austria, Kazak Productions in France, and NiKo Films in Germany.
International sales are handled by Totem Films, with international distribution by Jour2Fête. MAD Distribution, a division of MAD Solutions, handles the film’s MENA distribution.
THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE is shot by the acclaimed Mostafa El Kashef, who recently returned to Cannes’ red carpet with AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY; Egypts first film at the festival’s Un Certain Regard category in almost a decade.
Editing for Hawarre’s buzzing feature was done by Joana Scrinzi, who herself is known for her award-winning work.
Born in Mogadishu, Mo Harawe is an Austrian Somali writer and director and a Berlinale Talents alumni who won a prestigious scholarship from the Austrian Federal Ministry for the Arts in 2019 and has been studying for a master’s degree in Visual Communication at the Art University in Kassel since 2020.
His filmography includes several compelling short films, among them are LIFE ON THE HORN, which received a Special Mention at the Locarno Film Festival and Best Short Film at the Carthage Film Festival, and WILL MY PARENTS COME AND SEE ME, which held its world premiere at Berlinale Shorts, was nominated for the European Film Award, and won the Grand Prix at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival as well as German LOLA and Austrian Film Award for Best Short Film in 2023.
The Austrian Film Awards, held by the Austrian Film Academy, took place on the 12th of June.
THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE began its journey with a bang, premiering as part of the Official Selection in the 77th Cannes Film Festival, making history as the first film shot in Somalia ever selected for the festival. It was summarily nominated for both the prestigious Camera d'Or and Un Certain Regard awards.
It was later selected as part of the Centerpiece program for the Toronto International Film Festival, alongside more than 40 films from 41 countries.
The film went on to screen worldwide, with its MENA (Middle East and North Africa) premiere at the Marrakech International Film Festival, and was also screened at South Africa’s Durban International Film Festival and Australia’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
So far, the film has won over ten awards, including; a Gold Hugo Award for New Directors at the Chicago International Film Festival, Best Austrian Film at the Vienna Film Awards, Best Actress to Anab Ahmed Ibrahim at the Sarajevo Film Festival, a Special Mention at the Munich Film Festival, and Best Film at Cork International Film Festival.
Set in an idyllic seaside Somali village, a family must navigate between their goals and the complexities of societal expectations. Viewers are treated to the charming thrum of the village, as they are immersed in the lives of residents pursuing their dreams against the rolling tides.
It stars Anab Ahmed Ibrahim, Ahmed Ali Farah, and Ahmed Mohamud Saleban.
The film is an international co-production between Mamal Productions of Somalia, Freibeuter Films of Austria, Kazak Productions in France, and NiKo Films in Germany.
International sales are handled by Totem Films, with international distribution by Jour2Fête. MAD Distribution, a division of MAD Solutions, handles the film’s MENA distribution.
THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE is shot by the acclaimed Mostafa El Kashef, who recently returned to Cannes’ red carpet with AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY; Egypts first film at the festival’s Un Certain Regard category in almost a decade.
Editing for Hawarre’s buzzing feature was done by Joana Scrinzi, who herself is known for her award-winning work.
Born in Mogadishu, Mo Harawe is an Austrian Somali writer and director and a Berlinale Talents alumni who won a prestigious scholarship from the Austrian Federal Ministry for the Arts in 2019 and has been studying for a master’s degree in Visual Communication at the Art University in Kassel since 2020.
His filmography includes several compelling short films, among them are LIFE ON THE HORN, which received a Special Mention at the Locarno Film Festival and Best Short Film at the Carthage Film Festival, and WILL MY PARENTS COME AND SEE ME, which held its world premiere at Berlinale Shorts, was nominated for the European Film Award, and won the Grand Prix at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival as well as German LOLA and Austrian Film Award for Best Short Film in 2023.
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