MAD proudly celebrates a remarkable showing at the 36th Carthage Film Festival, where four films from its slate took home a total of six awards, highlighting the creativity, talent, and storytelling power of Arab cinema.
 
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB earned the Best Actress Award for Saja Kilani and an Honorary Jury Award, PROMISED SKY received a Special Mention for Actress Debora Lobe Naney,
WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM captured both the Audience Award and Best Screenplay Award, and COTTON QUEEN was honored with the TV5 MONDE Prize for Best First Feature-Length Film.
 
Kaouther Ben Hania’s docudrama THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, winner of Best Actress for Saja Kilani and an Honorary Jury Award at the 36th Carthage Film Festival, and shortlisted for the Oscars, also won the Silver Lion for Best Jury at its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. The film stars Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury, and Amer Hlehel, with cinematography by Juan Sarmiento G., editing by Qutaiba Barhamji, Maxim Mathis, and Kaouther Ben Hania, music by Amine Bouhafa, and production design by Bassam Marzouk.
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB follows the true story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who becomes trapped in a car under fire in Gaza on January 29, 2024, while Red Crescent volunteers try desperately to save her. The film previously closed the 46th Cairo International Film Festival and also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.
 
PROMISED SKY by Erige Sehiri, winner of Special Mention for Actress Debora Naney at Carthage, was co-written with Anna Senik and Malika Cecile Lobet, produced by Didar Domehri, and stars Aïssa Maïga, Laetitia Ky, Debora Naney, and Tunisian actor Mohamed Grayaa, with cinematography by Frida Marzouk.
Based on true events, the film follows Marie, Naney, and Jolie, who live together in a house that also serves as a church. The arrival of a little orphan girl forces them to confront hidden wounds and fragility in their lives. PROMISED SKY premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, screened at the Francophone Film Festival in Angoulême, winning Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress for Debora Naney, and most recently earned Best Screenplay at the Mostra Valencia Film Festival.
 
Amal Guellaty’s WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM, winner of Audience Award and Best Screenplay Award at Carthage, is produced by Asma Chiboub of Atlas Vision and stars Slim Baccar, Aya Bellagha, Sondos Belhassen, and Lobna Noomane, with cinematography by Frida Marzouk, editing by Amal Guellaty, Ghalya Lacroix, and Malek Kammoun, and music by Omar Aloulou.
The Tunisian comedy follows 19-year-old Alyssa and shy 23-year-old Mehdi, who embark on a road trip to southern Tunisia after discovering a contest offering a chance to escape their reality, overcoming obstacles along the way. The film premiered at Sundance and screened at Rotterdam and Istanbul International Film Festivals, and recently won the Golden Bee for Best Film at the Mediterranean Film Festival in Malta and Best Narrative Feature at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.
 
Suzannah Mirghani’s debut feature COTTON QUEEN, winner of the TV5 MONDE Prize for Best First Feature-Length Film at Carthage, was written and directed by Mirghani, with cinematography by Frida Marzouk, and stars Mihad Murtada, Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud, Talaat Fareed, Haram Bisheer, Mohamed Musa, and Hassan Mohi El Din. The film premiered at Venice Critics’ Week and won the Alexander “Theo Angelopoulos” Golden Award for Best Feature at the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
Set in a cotton-farming village in Sudan, it follows teenage Nafisa, raised on heroic tales of resistance by her grandmother, as she faces a power struggle over the village’s future when a young businessman arrives with genetically engineered cotton. COTTON QUEEN celebrates female strength and resilience while portraying the cultural and social transformations within the village.
 
The 36th Carthage Film Festival results highlight MAD’s continued commitment to bringing Arab cinema to the forefront of international recognition, championing stories that resonate deeply with audiences while showcasing the region’s remarkable creative talent.