Acclaimed Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania has added another milestone to her remarkable career as her latest film, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, has been officially longlisted for the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards in two major categories: Best Director and Film Not in the English Language. The BAFTA nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 27th, ahead of the prestigious awards ceremony on Sunday, February 22nd.
 
This recognition comes on the heels of the film’s recent Oscar shortlist and its Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language, further cementing its place as one of the most celebrated international films of the year. The film has also been set for a wide theatrical release across the Arab World as part of the CineMAD initiative, launched by Cairo-based MAD Solutions to bring high-profile Arab films celebrated on the festival circuit to cinemas.
A Tunisian-French co-production, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is based on the shocking true story of Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, incorporating real-life voice recordings between Hind and the Red Crescent volunteers who attempted to save her.
 
Following its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it received a thunderous standing ovation lasting over 20 minutes — the longest in the festival’s history — and won multiple awards including the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the UNICEF Award, the Edipo Re Award, the Arca Cinema Giovani Award, and the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award, the film went on to make a remarkable success on the international festival circuit.
 
It was notably selected as the closing film of the 46th Cairo International Film Festival and the opening film of the inaugural Doha Film Festival, and continued to garner accolades including the Audience Award at the Montpellier International Mediterranean Film Festival in France (Cinemed), the Mostra de València-Cinema del Mediterrani, and the Warsaw International Film Festival, as well as the Grand Prize for Best Film of 2025 at the Ghent International Film Festival in Belgium.
 
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is executive produced by Hollywood luminaries including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Alfonso Cuarón, in addition to Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner through their company Plan B Entertainment, who received “In Association With” credits alongside Film4 and MBC Studios, with other prominent figures joining as executive producers such as journalist and producer Jemima Khan, Canadian businessman and Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra, and jewellery designer and social figure Sabine Getty.
 
Filmed in Tunisia and starring Amer Hlehel, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees, and Saja Kilani, the film’s worldwide sales are being handled by Paris-based The Party Film Sales, which is co-representing the North American rights with CAA Media Finance. Theatrical and cultural rights in the Arab World are managed by MAD Distribution.
 
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is produced by Tanit Films and Mime Films (Nadim Cheikhrouha), RaeFilm Studios (Odessa Rae), and Jw Films Production (James Wilson) in collaboration with the Palestinian Red Crescent.
 
The director, Kaouther Ben Hania, is among the most acclaimed filmmakers of the Arab World, known for her bold storytelling. Her previous film, FOUR DAUGHTERS won the L’Oeil d’Or at Cannes and was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 2024. Her 2020 feature, THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN, was nominated for Best International Feature and won Best Actor in the Horizons Section at Venice. Her earlier works, including BEAUTY AND THE DOGS, ZAINEB HATES THE SNOW, and CHALLAT OF TUNIS, have also earned international acclaim.