European Film Promotion (EFP) and Arab Cinema Center (ACC) announce the 4th Arab Critics’ Award
A total of 23 European films, including eleven Oscar nominees for Best International Feature Film, are competing for the Arab Critics' Awards for European Films, which is being jointly announced by European Film Promotion (EFP) and the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) for the fourth time.
All of the films were submitted by the European national film institutes as EFP member organisations, have already been screened at leading international film festivals, or have now been entered for the Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. They include A Ballad by Aida Begić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Il Boemo by Petr Václav (Czech Republic), Safe Place by Juraj Lerotić (Croatia), Kalev by Ove Musting (Estonia), A Long Break by Data Pirtskhalava (Georgia), Magnetic Fields by Yorgos Goussis (Greece), Beautiful Beings by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson (Iceland), January by Viesturs Kairiss (Latvia), The Happiest Man in the World by Teona Strugar Mitevska, (North Macedonia), EO by Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland) and Victim by Michal Blaško (Slovak Republic).
Click here for the full list of nominated films
76 of the most prominent and influential Arab film critics from 15 Arab-speaking countries will first decide on their top three favourites before announcing the winning film during the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) in mid-November.
"We are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to show a fine selection of 23 films from 23 countries from throughout Europe to such a distinguished jury of Arabian film critics. It is a pleasure and an honour to continue our partnership with the Cairo International Film Festival and the Arab Cinema Center to make European cinema visible in the Arab world“, says EFP Managing Director Sonja Heinen.
Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, co-founders of the Arab Cinema Center "are happy with the 4th edition of the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films, which is launched in partnership with European Film Promotion and the Cairo International Film Festival. The announcement of the Arab Critics Awards for European Films during CIFF has grown in prominence, adding prestige to the films that win." And Hussein Fahmy, President of the Cairo International Film Festival, adds: "We were pleased to present the Arab Critics' Awards for European Films during the Cairo International Film Festival in prior years. It's our pleasure to continue for the third consecutive year, as it aligns with one of the festival's primary objectives, which is to introduce the audience to the best of international cinema production."
The Arab film critics in alphabetical order:
Abdelkarim Ouakrim (Morocco), Abdelkrim Kadri (Algeria), Abdul Sattar Naji (Kuwait), Ahmed Abo El Fadl (Egypt), Ahmed Gasmi (Egypt), Ahmed Sami (Egypt), Aliaa Talaat (Egypt), Ali Wajeeh (Syria), Amal El-Gamal (Egypt), Amal Magdy (Egypt) Amged Gamal (Egypt), Andrew Mohsen (Egypt), Arwa Tageldeen (Egypt), Ayah Tantawy (Egypt), Azz El Deen El Ouafi (Morocco), Chafic Tabbara (Lebanon), Dalia Said Mostafa (Egypt), Doha Elwardaney (Egypt), Erfan Rashid (Iraq),Essam Zakaria (Egypt), Fahad Alestsa (Saudi Arabia), Hammadi Gueroum (Morocco), Hassan Haddad (Bahrain), Hassouna Mansouri (Tunisia), Hauvick Habéchian (Lebanon), Hind Mezaina (UAE), Houda Ibrahim (Lebanon), Hossam Sayed (Egypt), Huda Jafar (Yemen), Husam Asi (Palestine), Ibrahim Haj Abdi (Syria), Ikbal Zalila (Tunisia), Kadhum El Saloum (Iraq), Kais Kassem (Iraq), Khaled Mahmoud (Egypt), Khalid Ali (Sudan), Khalil Demmoun (Morocco), Lama Tayara (Syria), Lamia Guiga (Tunisia), Magda Khirallah (Egypt), Mahdi Abbas (Iraq), Marwa Abueish (Egypt), Mohamed Allal (Algeria), Mohamed Atef (Egypt), Mohamed Awad (Egypt), Mohamed Sayed Abdelrehim (Egypt), Mohamed Tarek (Egypt), Mohamed Benaziz (Morocco), Mohammed Chouika (Morocco), Mohammed Rouda (Lebanon), Nabil Hadji (Algeria), Nada Azhari (Syria), Nadim Jarjoura (Lebanon), Nageh Hassan (Jordan), Narjes Torchani (Tunisia), Nidal Queshha (Syria), Ola Kamel Al-Sheikh (Palestine, Head of Jury), Ola Shafey (Egypt), Omnia Adel (Egypt), Ossama Abdel Fattah (Egypt), Rachid Naim (Morocco), Rahma El Haddad (Egypt), Rasha Hosny (Egypt), Ramy Abd el Razek (Egypt), Safaa Elaisy (Egypt), Safaa Jibara Al-Saleh (Iraq), Samira Dami (Tunisia), Samya Ayish (Palestine), Selim Elbak (Palestine), Shaimaa Selim (Egypt), Sherif Thabet (Egypt), Taher Alwan (Iraq), Tarek Ben Chaabane (Tunisia), Tarek El Shinnawi (Egypt), Yousra Chikhawi (Tunisia), Ziad Khuzai (Iraq).
Click here for the full list of the Arab film critics according to country
The Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films was launched in 2019 by EFP and ACC. It is a spin-off from the ACC’s now well-established Critics' Awards to boost film diversity in the region and raise the interest of sales companies and the industry for outstanding European films. This initiative also aims to cast a spotlight on the distinguished film critics from 15 Arab-speaking countries and their important role in opening up new perspectives and bridging cultural idiosyncrasies. The previous three winners were God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya by Teona Strugar Mitevska (2019), Undine by Christian Petzold (2020) and 107 Mothers by Peter Kerekes (2021).
