11th Edition of the Medenine International Film Festival Comes to a Close
The 11th edition of the Medenine International Film Festival concluded on October 28, 2025, marking a new milestone in the cultural radiance of southern Tunisia.
A Celebratory and Unifying Event
This competitive and unifying event celebrates the diversity of world cinematographies every year. Three cities, Médenine, Zarzis, and Djerba, joined forces to host this major event in the Tunisian cinematic calendar, combining screenings, training sessions, workshops, and other meetings around a shared passion: cinema.
Official Selection and Awards
The official selection included 28 films in competition, comprising 13 feature films (6 fiction and 7 documentaries) and 15 short films (8 fiction and 7 documentaries), in addition to a non-competitive section.
The official awards were announced during a closing ceremony held at the Agora Djerba. In the documentary category, the feature film "Matula" by director Abdallah Yahia won the Golden Al-Fanar, while the Palestinian short film "Post Trauma" by Nidhal Bdarni received the same distinction.
The documentary jury consisted of directors Abdel Karim Dhaibi (Morocco), Amor Aljaser (Saudi Arabia), and Hichem Ben Ammar (Tunisia). On the fiction side, the short film "Leni Africo" by Marouene Labib won the Golden Al-Fanar, followed by "A Lullaby" by Ameni Jaafar, which won the Silver Al-Fanar. The feature film "Emna" by Bouslama Chamekh received a special mention from the jury. The festival's grand prize, the Golden Al-Fanar for feature film fiction, was awarded to "Alger" by Algerian director Chakib Taleb Bendiab.
The fiction competition jury brought together Mohamed Bassousi (Egypt, screenwriter), Vanesse Tatjana (Canada, director), Andrea Morghen (Italy, director), and Sarra Hajjar (France, cultural relations specialist).
International Participation and Tribute
The films presented came from Algeria, Austria, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Switzerland, and Tunisia, which was represented by seven productions, including a Tunisian-Swiss co-production.
Swiss cinema was honored throughout the festival. Founded and chaired by Mohamed Thabet, the festival is organized by the Rouaâ Association, with the support of the National Center for Cinema and Image (CNCI). Actor Foued Litaiem serves as the honorary president.
This 2025 edition paid tribute to three great figures of Arab and Maghrebi cinema: Egyptian actress Hela Sedki, Saudi director Mamdouh Salem, and Tunisian actor Ghanem Zrelli.
By Meysem MARROUKI
