2025 emerges as a milestone for Arab cinema

2025 will be remembered as a watershed year in the history of Arab cinema. A new generation of visionary filmmakers has emerged across the Arab world, using cinema to rediscover history, heritage, and lived realities. Their films are challenging long-held global misconceptions about Arab societies, while stories rooted in history, family, resistance, and social consciousness are finding powerful resonance with international audiences.

The most significant milestone came with the 98th Academy Awards shortlist. For the first time in Oscar history, four films from the Middle East secured places among the 15 shortlisted titles in the International Feature Film category—"The President's Cake", "Palestine 36", "The Voice of Hind Rajab", and "All That's Left of You". This unprecedented presence marked a historic breakthrough for Arab cinema on the world's most prestigious film platform.

Also featured on the shortlist was "It Was Just an Accident", by renowned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, submitted from France. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year and went on to receive widespread acclaim at major festivals, including Sydney, Middleburg, Asia Pacific, and the New York Film Critics Awards.

Among the most talked-about Arab films of the year was "The Voice of Hind Rajab", directed by Koussay Ben Hania. The film received a record-breaking 23-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival—the longest in the festival's history—and was awarded the Silver Lion. Centered on the tragic death of five-year-old Hind Rajab during an Israeli attack on Gaza, the film deeply moved audiences across Venice, San Sebastián, and the Chicago International Film Festival, often leaving viewers in tears.

Another standout was Iraq's "The President's Cake", which won both the Caméra d'Or and the Directors' Fortnight Audience Award at Cannes, remaining a major topic of discussion throughout the year. Meanwhile, "Palestine 36", based on the Arab Revolt of 1936–1939, received widespread international appreciation for its historical depth and political relevance.

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Beyond these, several other Arab films earned recognition at leading global festivals, including "Yunan", "All That's Left of You", "A Sad Beautiful World", "Hijra", "Happy Birthday", "Once Upon a Time in Gaza", "Aisha Can't Fly Away" and "To a Land Unknown". 

Together, these achievements signal not just a successful year, but the global arrival of Arab cinema as a powerful, nuanced, and indispensable voice in world filmmaking—making 2025 a truly defining chapter in its cinematic history.