The Moroccan director Daoud Oulad Sayed recently received the Golden Bayard for best screenplay for his feature film "The Mosque" in official competition at the Namur International Francophone Film Festival.

The Mosque is a fiction based on a true event. Its central theme is the interpretation of sacred texts according to each person's understanding; it also invites the discovery of the beauty of deep Morocco and the lifestyle of its inhabitants, notably in Zagora, Timettigue, Adra Oughlal, and Tamegroute.

Fifteen films representing Francophone countries, including Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, and Senegal, but also Belgium, France, Germany, Canada, Romania, and Switzerland in particular, were in official competition during this 25th edition of the International Francophone Film Festival (1 to 8 October).

The jury, chaired by the Belgian filmmaker Joachim Lafosse, awarded the Romanian film "Tuesday, After Christmas" directed by Radu Muntean "The Golden Bayard for best film of the festival" and "Heartbeats" by the Quebecer Xavier Dolan "The jury's special prize".

The jury also crowned the Belgian Anne Coessens best actress for her performance in "Illegal", a film dealing with illegal immigration, and the Romanian Mimi Branescu best actor for his performance in "Tuesday, After Christmas". The Golden Bayards were accompanied by a total amount of 70,000 euros.