The 12th edition of the International Arab Film Festival of Oran is held in Algeria from October 7 to 10, 2024. This festival showcases a variety of Arab films in several categories, including feature films, documentaries, and short films. The event provides a platform for filmmakers to explore social, political, and humanitarian themes, gathering works from different regions of the Arab world.
Feature films:
- Wadi Al-Manfa (The Valley of Exile) – Directed by Mustafa Al-Nasser (Syria).
- Al-Murhaqun (The Exhausted) – Directed by Najeeb Abdo (Yemen).
- Ard Al-Intiqam (Land of Vengeance) – Directed by Anis Joud (Algeria).
- Fata Al-Jabal (The Boy from the Mountain) – Directed by Zainab Shahin (United Arab Emirates).
- Ikhtiyar Mariam (Mariam’s Choice) – Directed by Mahmoud Yehia (Egypt).
- Mandoub Al-Layl (The Messenger of the Night) – Directed by Ali Al-Kalthami (Saudi Arabia).
- Inshallah Walad (If God Wills, a Child) – Directed by Amjad Al-Rasheed (Jordan).
- Rajulaan… Masir Wahid (Two Men… One Fate) – Directed by Mustafa Ozgon (Algeria).
- Messi Baghdad – Directed by Sahim Omar Khalifa (Iraq).
Asfour Jannah (Bird of Paradise) – Directed by Mourad Ben Sheikh (Tunisia/Italy). - Shay Aswad (Black Tea) – Directed by Abd Rahman Sissako (Mauritania).
Documentaries:
- Zeinat, Algeria and Happiness – Directed by Mohamed Latrash (Algeria/France).
- Rassif Beirut (Beirut Dock) – Directed by Farah Al-Hashem (Lebanon).
- Moutaradat Al-Daw Al-Mubhir (Chasing the Dazzling Light) – Directed by Yasser Qassab (Syria).
- Ikhtifa Saddam Hussein (The Disappearance of Saddam Hussein) – Directed by Mustafa Halkout (Norway/Iraq).
- Al-Kabitana – Directed by Hossam Senssa (Tunisia).
- Lydd – Directed by Rami Younis and Sarah Emma Friedland (Palestine/UK/USA).
- Moussa... Al-Maktabi Al-Akhir Fi Wahran (Moussa... The Last Librarian of Oran) – Directed by
- Abdel Rahman Mostafa and Haj Mohamed Faytas (Algeria).
- Tahat Sama Dimashq (Under the Sky of Damascus) – Directed by Hiba Khaled, Talal Derki, and Ali Wajih (Syria/USA/Denmark/Germany).
- Samar… Qabl Al-Soura Al-Nihaya (Samar… Before the Final Image) – Directed by Ayatollah Youssef (Egypt).
- Q – Directed by Jud Shehab (Lebanon/USA).
Short Films:
- Diyana Al-Maa (The Religion of Water) – Directed by Haitham Suleiman (Oman).
- 205 – Directed by Faraj Mayouf Ali Hamed (Libya).
- Wehda Afdal (A Better Unit) – Directed by Ricar Barzan (Iraq).
- Yawm (Day) – Directed by Ahmed Akbar (Bahrain).
- Qarar (Decision) – Directed by Abdallah Naimish (Algeria).
- Leni Africo – Directed by Marwan Labeeb (Tunisia).
- Mawsim (Season) – Directed by Hussein Ibrahim (Lebanon).
- Said – Directed by Rami Al-Zair (Saudi Arabia).
- Khurda (Debris) – Directed by Firas Mohamed (Syria).
- Al-Koura (The Ball) – Directed by Malek Saifi (Algeria).
- Walidak Ala Al-Arjah (Your Father Probably) – Directed by The Talba Brothers (Mauritania).
- Transit – Directed by Baqer Al-Rubaie (Iraq).
- Nahnu Fi Hajaa Ila Al-Mousaadat Al-Kawniya (We Need Cosmic Help) – Directed by Ahmed Imad (Egypt).
- Wainak Ant (Where Are You?) – Directed by Mohamed Kota (Jordan).
Short Documentaries:
- Al-Aziza – Directed by Bilal Ishaq Arbab (Sudan).
- Tayout 24 – Directed by Roaa Saleh (Tunisia).
- Boualam Samea Kolch – Directed by Aziz Boukeroni and Khaled Bounab (Algeria).
- Qoultalak – Directed by Malak Al-Sayyad (Egypt/USA).
- Huquq Ta’eh (Lost Rights) – Directed by Mohamed Masly (Libya).
- Ummuna Hawwa (Our Mother Eve) – Directed by Lama Jamjoum (Saudi Arabia).
- Satl (Bucket) – Directed by Adel Al-Himy (Yemen).
- Tahthouh – Directed by Mohamed Wali (Algeria/Qatar).
The Results:
During the closing ceremony of the Oran Arab Film Festival, the Saudi film Mandoob by Ali Khaltami won the top prize. The Silver and Bronze awards went respectively to Yemeni director Amr Gamal for The Burdened and Iraqi filmmaker Sahim Oran Khalifa for Baghdad Messi. In the acting categories, Mouna Hawa won Best Actress for Inshallah a Boy by Amjad Al-Rasheed, while Algerian actor Samir El Hakim won Best Actor for Land of Vengeance directed by Anis Djaad.