MasterClass : Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Réalisateur Iranien (Iranian director)

Location : Cité de la culture-Salle des Jeunes Créateurs

Date et heure : December 16, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Moderator : Narjes Torchani (Tunisian journalist)

Mohsen Makhmalbaf is an Iranian director, writer, and producer born on May 29, 1957, in Tehran. He is known as one of the pioneers and most influential filmmakers of the new wave of Iranian cinema. Throughout his career, Makhmalbaf has received over 60 international awards from the world’s most prestigious film festivals and created a multitude of critically acclaimed films, including «Hello Cinema» (Cannes 1995), «Time of Love» (Cannes 1995), «Gabbeh» (Cannes 1996), «A Moment of Innocence» (Locarno 1996), «The Silence» (Venice 1998), «Tales of Kish» (Cannes 1999), «Kandahar» (Cannes 2001), «Scream of the Ants» (Montreal 2007), «The President» (Venice 2014), and «The Nights of Zayandeh-Rood» (Venice 2017). As a writer, Makhmalbaf has also authored more than 30 books, many of them have been translated and published in different languages.

MasterClass : Hany Abu Assad,

Réalisateur Palestinien (Palestinian Director)

Location :  Cité de la culture-Salle des Jeunes Créateurs

Date and time  : December 18, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Moderator : Tarek Ben Chaabane (Tunisian professor, consultant, and screenwriter)

Hany Abu Assad, born in Nazareth on October 11, 1961, is best known for his film «Omar,» which won the Golden Tanit at the Carthage Film Festival in 2014, and «Paradise Now,» which received the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006. Both films were also nominated to represent Palestine at the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Abu Assad is a prominent figure in the «New Palestinian Cinema,» movement that seeks to portray the concerns of the Palestinian people through characters marked by human fragility and contradictions. His notable works also include «Nazareth 2000» (2000), «The Idol» (2015), and «Huda’s Salon» (2021). In addition to his achievements in Palestinian cinema, he has also ventured into Hollywood, directing two films: «The Specialist» in 2012 and «The Mountain Between Us» in 2017

MasterClass : Merzak Allouache,

Réalisateur Algérien (Algerian director)

Location :  Cité de la culture-Salle des Jeunes Créateurs

Date and Time : December 16, 11 :45 AM – 1:15 PM

Moderator : Kamel Ben Ouanes(Academic and Tunisian critic)

Born on 6 October 1944 in Algiers, Merzak Allouache is an Algerian screenwriter and director. He studied in 1964 at the National Cinema Institute of Algiers and then at IDHEC in Paris. Allouache worked as an assistant on several films, directed documentaries and Tv shows for Algerian television. His first feature film «Omar Gatlato», a contemporary, neo-realistic film full of humor and shot directly in the streets of Algiers with amateur actors is presented at the Critics’ Week at the Cannes film festival in 1977. Allouache was present three times at the Carthage Film Festival with «Adventures of a Hero» which received the Golden Tanit in 1978, «Bab El-Oued City» which received the Silver Tanit in 1994 and then the Gold Tanit again for «Salut Cousin!» in 1996. Director of more than twenty feature films, Merzak Allouache returns to the JCC this year with his last two fiction films «It’s nothing» (2023) and «First Line» (2024).

MasterClass : Jilani Saâdi

Réalisateur Tunisien

Location :  Cité de la culture – Salle des Jeunes Créateurs

Date and Time : December 18, 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM

Moderator : Slim Ben Cheikh  : Academic and cinema professor

Jilani Saâdi, born in Bizerte on February 6, 1962, is a Tunisian director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and producer. He holds a university diploma in art history and a bachelor’s degree in cinema obtained at Paris 8 University. Known for his films «Khorma, le crieur de nouvelles» (2002), «Tender is the wolf» (2006), «Winou Baba?» (2011), and «Bidoun» (2012, 2014, 2018, 2023), Jilani Saâdi has received awards at various film festivals including two at the Carthage Film Festival: the Bronze Tanit in 2021 for his film «Insurrection»and the jury prize in 2006 for «Tender is the wolf». Emerging from the vibrant Cinema Clubs movement in Tunisia, he has remained loyal throughout his career to portraying marginalized characters and settings. His filmography includes three short films and nine feature-length ones.