The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Arab Cinema Centre stand in Cannes on May 18.
Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated documentary Four Daughters and Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s drama Goodbye Julia have taken the spotlight with top nominations in the eighth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
Administered by the Arab Cinema Centre in Cairo and judged by 209 critics from 72 countries, the awards ceremony will take place on May 18 during a gala event held alongside the Cannes Film Festival.
Established by the Arab Cinema Centre and co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, the Critics Awards for Arab Films honour excellence in Arab cinema.
Kordofani’s debut film Goodbye Julia secures nominations in seven categories, including best feature, director, screenplay, actress, actor, and editing. Meanwhile, Ben Hania’s Four Daughters earns seven nominations, including best documentary. Jordanian filmmaker Amjad Al Rasheed’s dark social comedy Inshallah a Boy also emerges as a strong contender with six nominations.
Goodbye Julia follows the story of Mona — a northern Sudanese retired singer in a tense marriage — who is wracked by guilt after covering up a murder. In an attempt to make amends, she takes in the deceased’s southern Sudanese widow, Julia, and her son, Daniel, into her home.
Unable to confess her transgressions to Julia, Mona decides to leave the past behind and adjust to a new status quo, unaware that the country’s turmoil may find its way into her home and put her face to face with her sins.
Meanwhile, Four Daughters explores the story of a real-life Tunisian mother who lost two of her daughters to ISIS after a local preacher radicalised them.
This year’s nominees were selected from Arab films that premiered at international festivals outside the Arab world in 2023, representing diverse regions including Sudan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon.
Introducing a new category, the awards now include recognition for Best Short Film, reflecting the organisers’ commitment to showcasing the breadth of talent in the pan-Arab cinema industry.
Other noteworthy contenders include Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky’s Hajjan, exploring the Saudi camel racing scene; Palestinian-British director Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher, starring Saleh Bakri as a West Bank teacher dedicated to political resistance; and Amr Gamal’s The Burdened.
Deborah Young, Manager of the Critics Awards for Arab Films, expressed excitement about this year’s lineup, emphasising the quality and diversity of the selected films. She highlighted the addition of the Best Short Film category as part of the organizers’ ongoing efforts to recognise all facets of Arab cinema talent.
