PRESS CONFERENCE | Press Conference of the 36th Edition of the Carthage Film Festival

The press conference of the 36th edition of the Carthage Film Festival, which will take place from December 13 to December 20, was held on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at the Theater of Young Creators in the City of Culture, Tunis, under the direction of Mohamed Tarek Ben Chaabane, with the presence of the Acting Director of the CNCI, Chaker Chikhi, and members of the organizing committee. This edition’s program will feature no less than 165 films screened across 14 venues (96 feature films and 69 short films), coming from 23 countries, including the 54 films competing across the official sections: 14 in the Feature Narrative Competition, 12 in the Feature Documentary Competition, 16 in the Short Film Competition, and 12 in Ciné-Promesse.

This is in addition to the section “Palestine at the Heart of the JCC” (10 films), the FOCUS tributes to Armenia (11 films) and the Philippines (5 films), “A Look at Spanish Cinema” (5 films), “A Journey Through Latin American Cinema” (7 films), and “Panorama of Tunisian Cinema” (15 films).

Among these films, 46 are Tunisian works, including 23 feature films and 23 short films.

Regarding the juries: the Feature Narrative Jury will be chaired by Palestinian filmmaker Najwa Najjar; the Feature Documentary Jury by Tunisian filmmaker Raja Amari; the Short Film and Ciné-Promesse Jury, two sections merged for this edition, will be chaired by Iraqi filmmaker and academic Hikmat Al-Beedhan; and finally, the Debut Film Jury will be chaired by Egyptian screenwriter and novelist Mariam Naoum.

At the beginning of his address, Mohamed Tarek Ben Chaabane reaffirmed the editorial line that has always guided the Carthage Film Festival and its commitment to engaged cinema and auteur filmmaking, as well as its openness to cinema from the Global South.
Regarding Palestine, he emphasized the place its legitimate cause occupies in the hearts and in the identity of the JCC, with this edition opening with a Palestinian film by director Annemarie Jacir, “Palestine 36”. This comes in addition to other works dedicated to Palestine, including Rashid Mashharaoui’s From “Ground Zero”

The director of the 36ᵗʰ edition of the JCC then highlighted the countries to be honored and the corresponding focus sections: Armenia, with 11 films including 4 restored titles; the Philippines, with 5 films; as well as dedicated spotlights on Spanish cinema and Latin American cinema, featuring the renowned work “Blood of the Condor”.

Arab cinema will also receive significant attention through the screening of numerous films and a roundtable titled “Is There a New Arab Cinema?”, examining emerging trends among young filmmakers in script development, storytelling, and directing.

African cinema will likewise hold its rightful place in this 36ᵗʰ edition of the JCC, as in previous editions, with discussions centered on the concept of light. The program will also include screenings of seminal works of African cinema, such as the first film by Paulin Soumanou Vieyra, Afrique sur Seine”.

In the tribute section, several major figures of Tunisian and Arab cinema will be honored, including Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, Ziad Rahbani, Tunisian producer Abdelaziz Ben Mlouka, filmmaker Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, and a special tribute to the world-famous Tunisian-Italian star Claudia Cardinale.

During these festival days, Mohamed Tarek Ben Chaabane noted that several restored films will be screened alongside other JCC classics, and emphasized that every effort has been made to further promote Arab and African cinema in keeping with the orientation and mission that have always defined the JCC.

Mr. Chaker Chikhi, acting director of the National Center for Cinema and Image (CNCI), emphasized in his address the material and financial resources allocated to ensure the smooth running of this 36ᵗʰ edition of the JCC, underscoring a sustained commitment to providing the necessary care and support for the festival’s guests.

Following his remarks, the promotional spot for this 36ᵗʰ edition of the JCC was presented to those in attendance, featuring images from selected films, notable figures, as well as footage reflecting the grave situation in Gaza.