The Carthage Film Festival (Jcc) is set to make history this year with a record 99 Tunisian films participating, showcasing from December 14 to 21 in Tunis and various cities. Honorary president Ferid Boughedir highlighted the festival's 35th edition as a vital platform for celebrating the diversity of Arab, African, and global cinema.
Due to the unprecedented number of entries, the festival committee has decided to select four films for the feature film competition, exceeding the usual limit of three. Additionally, a new national competition featuring 12 films will be introduced.
Overall, the festival will screen 217 films from 21 countries, continuing its outreach into villages and prisons for the first time. The opening films include the Palestinian short film “Upshot” (2024) by Maha Haj and a restored version of the documentary “The Freedom Giver” (1987) by the late Iraqi director Kays Alzubaydi.
The jury for the feature and short film competition, led by Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad, includes notable filmmakers from across the region. Special tributes will honor Hany Abu-Assad and Tunisian director Jilani Saadi, alongside a remembrance of esteemed Tunisian film critic Khemaies Khayati.