Editorial of the director of the 36th edition of the Carthage film festival

“My way of life is to believe in the future…” Souleymane Cissé As it enters its 36th edition, the Carthage Film Festival reaffirms its unwavering commitment to its founding values. Since 1966, it has stood proudly for Arab and African identity, auteur cinema, and voices that challenge, liberate, and transform. Proud of its greatest strength, a passionate and demanding audience, the Festival will continue, far from dominant narratives, to chart new paths, champion bold visions, and amplify cinemas that dares to be different. We are determined to expand the spaces where this cinema can grow, by deepening exchanges among filmmakers, producers, and creators across regions and generations. To open the stage wider for emerging voices, we are reinforcing Carthage Pro, our professional platform, with its two creation-driven workshops, Chabaka and Takmil, and consolidating Carthage Ciné-Promesse, a space for discovering new talents, now welcoming students from film schools across all five continents. The Carthage Film Festival remains a vital meeting point for the world’s stories; stories that center the human experience; stories that help us navigate the complexity of our times. With renewed vision and a deep conviction in the power of cinema, we launch this 36th edition, rooted in legacy, yet boldly turned toward the future of our cinemas