MUMBAI: Philippine director Brillante Mendoza won the Muhr Africa/Asia Award as the 6th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) drew to a close on 16 December.

Mendoza bagged the award for Lola, his tale of two grandmothers dealing with the consequences of murder, Iran‘s Mohammad Rasoulof took the special jury prize for San Sebastian title White Meadows.

Michel Khlefi‘s won the Muhr Arab Award for Zindeeq, a bleak drama about a Palestinian film-maker returning to a devastated Ramallah in 1948. It received a mixed response from local film critics, the jury, led by Algerian director Ahmed Rachedi, described the drama as "a very inspiring work".

Meanwhile, one of the festival‘s standout titles Harragas besides winning a special jury prize, also took the FIPRESCI prize and the Human Rights Film Network Award.