The 12th edition of the Djerba International Film Festival for Women's and Youth Cinema is set to commence on October 24 and conclude on October 27, 2026. This year's festival features a rich program with 68 films from 37 countries. The event celebrates Arab and international cinema, as well as women's and youth energies. India has been chosen as the guest of honor for this edition.
The festival's program includes 39 films competing in the official competition, comprising 12 documentary films (6 long and 6 short), 12 feature films (6 long and 6 short), 8 school films, and 7 children's films. In addition to the competing films, 29 other films will be screened outside of the competition. These films represent various countries from the Arab world and other continents, including Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and many others.
The films participating in the festival will compete for several awards, including the "Golden Phial" for long and short documentary films, the "Golden Minaret" for feature films, and the Arab General Union of Artists' award for the best Arab feature film. A multinational jury will evaluate the films, with the Tunisian cinema professor, Lamia Al-Baqai, heading the feature film jury. Other jury members include Saudi director Omar Al-Jasser and Egyptian screenwriter Abdel Rahim Kamal.
The festival's opening ceremony on October 24 will include a tribute to a selection of Tunisian and Arab cinematic and artistic personalities, such as Dorra Zarrouk, Afaf Ben Mahmoud, and Jamal Al-Madani from Tunisia, as well as Dalia Mustafa from Egypt and Omar Al-Jasser from Saudi Arabia. Alongside the film competitions and screenings, the festival program includes several side activities, such as a masterclass on screenwriting by Abdel Rahim Kamal and a workshop on children's cinema.
The festival also features a workshop titled "Cinema and the Marionette" led by Tunisian director Imad Al-Waslati, as well as a workshop for children and young people titled "Let's Tell Our Story from Reality to Documentary Film" led by Anis Al-Soud. Participants will also attend a workshop on "Excellence in Screenwriting and Cinematic Direction" supervised by critic Kamal Ben Wnass.
The festival's organization committee stated that this edition aims to promote cinema as a means of dialogue between cultures, support cinematic creativity, and provide a platform for young directors and filmmakers, especially women, to showcase their work and experiences. The event also seeks to encourage the exchange of experiences between different Arab and international cinematic experiments.
Key points of the festival include a tribute to Indian cinema as the guest of honor, a diverse program of 68 films from 37 countries, and various side activities and workshops.
Key points
- The festival will take place from October 24 to 27, 2026, in Djerba, Tunisia.
- 68 films from 37 countries are participating in the festival.
- India is the guest of honor for this edition of the festival.
