Created in 2017 on the sidelines of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the Awards for Arab Films Critics are again this year on the Croisette for their ninth edition. This initiative carried by the Arab Cinema Center (ACC), in partnership with Festival Scope, rewards the best recent Arab productions each year, all categories combined. If the competition is obviously not integrated into the official selection of the festival, it nevertheless finds a stable and symbolic framework there, so Cannes remains a central point of convergence for the cinemas of the world.
Since its inception, the award ceremony has always taken place in Cannes, stressing the importance of this festival as an area of exchanges and visibility for Arabic cinema. It is in Cannes that award -winning films benefit from extended recognition, with professionals, journalists and institutions. It is also in this context that jurors meet, debate, and participate in making this collective critical reading of Arab cinema exist.
For this 2025 edition, 281 criticisms from 78 countries were mobilized, a figure constantly increasing. They were invited to view and assess 63 films, long and short, from several Arab countries and the diaspora. The prices will be awarded in ten categories: best feature film, best documentary, best short film, best director, best screenplay, best actress, best actor, best photography, best editing and best music.
Among the works subject to the vote, several have already circulated in prestigious festivals and received notable recognition. The Palestinian documentary No Other Landwritten and directed by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor, won several international prizes, including the Oscar 2025 for best documentary. From Ground Zerofrom Rashid Masharaoui, was shortlisted at the Oscars the same year. The latter had done his first at the Palais des Festivals in 2024, as part of a parallel event in Cannes, before traveling around the world.
Other films in competition had been selected at Cannes 2024. Everybody Loves Tondafrom Nabil Ayouch, had been presented in the section A certain look. Norahdirected by Tawfik Alzaidi, had obtained a special mention of the jury in this same section. The village Next to Paradisefrom Mo Harawe, also appeared in the selection A certain look.
There Criticism had retained several significant titles: Nile girlswho won the golden eye for the best documentary, Ghostsproduced by Jonathan Mille and presented in the opening session, as well as The sea in the distance From Said Hamich Benlarbi, shown in a special session. All these films, although they participate in Awards Criticsowe an important part of their initial exhibition at the Cannes Film Festival.
On the Tunisian side, four films are in the running this year:
– Agorafrom Ala Eddine Slim, selected notably at the Locarno film festival and the Film of the Red Sea Film;
– Aïcha, by Mehdi Barsaoui, who had made his first at the Venice Festival;
– Red children, from Lotfi Achourwho won Two important prizes at the Red Sea Festival: Best Film and Best Director ;
– The sourcefrom Meryam Jobeur who made his first at the Berlin Festival and Who won the prize for the best Arab film at the El Gouna film festival.
They testify to an active and diversified Tunisian presence, carried by confirmed or future filmmakers.
Since the creation of the Awards for Arab Films Critics, Tunisia has always shone there, winning practically each year, several distinctions. In 2024, she particularly distinguished herself with four prizes won: three for Olffa’s girls by Kaouther Ben Hania (best documentary, best director and best assembly), as well as a price for the composer Amine Bouhafa.
The organization of this competition remains under the responsibility of the Arab Cinema Centernon -profit structure founded ten years ago and recorded in Amsterdam. Animated by Mad Solutionsthe ACC acts as a relay for promoting Arabic cinema, supporting its creators and promoting international collaborations. THE Awards Critics This is one of the most visible projects.
Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, founders of ACC, underline that these prices make it possible to draw attention to sometimes fragile works in terms of distribution, but whose artistic value is undeniable. Deborah Young, head of the Committee of Awards Criticsinsists on the unifying role of this competition, which brings together multiple looks on a constantly evolving cinematographic production.
This year, I joined for the first time The jury of Critics Awards for Arab Films,, After participating in that of Arab Critics Awards for European Filmsalso organized by the Arab Cinema Center. It is a critical commitment that I assume with attention and love.
By putting them back Critics Awards for Arab Films In Cannes and during the festival, this competition offers Arab films a precious visibility, at the very heart of one of the largest world festivals. The ceremony attracts an international audience, made up of filmmakers, criticisms and journalists from around the world, thus creating a real crossroads for the recognition of Arab works. Through this platform, award -winning films not only benefit from recognition from cinema professionals, but also from increased broadcasting that goes beyond borders. In this 9th edition, the continuity of this commitment confirms the importance of Cannes as a strategic place for the development and internationalization of Arab cinema, allowing new voices and emerging talents to reach a global audience.
Neïla Driss
