Arab Cinema Steps Into Cannes With Critics Awards Nominations
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The Arab Cinema Center has announced the final nominations for the 10th edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films, ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, in a year that marks a decade since the awards were launched.
The winners are scheduled to be announced on May 16 during a special ceremony held alongside Cannes at Plage des Palmes, honoring some of the most notable Arab films screened over the past year.
This year’s edition saw a record voting body, with 307 film critics from 75 countries taking part in the selection process. The scale of participation reflects the growing international attention around Arab cinema, not only in the region but also within global festival and critical circles.
Annemarie Jacir’s “Palestine 36” leads the nominations with six nods, including best feature film, best director, and best screenplay. Maryam Touzani’s “Calle Malaga” follows with five nominations, while Cherien Dabis’ “All That’s Left of You” received four.
Several other films also made a strong showing. “Yunan,” “Cologne,” and “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” received three nominations each, while “Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” “The President’s Cake,” “The Settlement,” “Hijra,” “A Sad and Beautiful World,” and “A Land Without Sky” received two nominations each.
The awards cover major categories including best feature film, best documentary, best short film, best director, best screenplay, best actor, best actress, best cinematography, best editing, and best music.
This year’s nominations offer a wide view of contemporary Arab cinema, with films from Palestine, Morocco, Sudan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia, and stories shaped by political memory, personal loss, social pressure, and human resilience.
The importance of the awards goes beyond the final winners. Each year, they give Arab films a stronger platform in front of critics, programmers, and decision makers at one of the world’s most influential film festivals. At a time when Arab stories are gaining broader global visibility, these nominations show that Arab cinema is no longer standing on the margins of the international conversation. It is helping shape it.
