The 48th Mediterranean Film Festival, also known as Cinemed, will take place from October 16 to 24, 2026, in Montpellier, France. The festival's program, announced on October 2, 2026, includes three Tunisian films in the "Arab Fantasy Cinema" section, which is organized in partnership with the "Masqoun" festival, the first Arab festival for horror, science fiction, and fantasy films, based in Beirut.
The Tunisian films featured in this section include two feature films and one short film. The first feature film is "What the Wind Heard" (2021) by director Youssef Chabi, which explores themes of violence and women's issues through the myth of Medusa. The film follows the story of Nada, a woman living a double life, whose path intersects with that of her colleague Noura, bringing back old anxieties.
The second feature film is "Dashra" (2018) by Abdelhamid Boushnak, which combines investigative journalism with horror elements. The film tells the story of three journalists, including Yasmine, who investigate an old case involving a disfigured woman named Mangi, who was found 25 years ago and admitted to a mental hospital on charges of practicing magic.
The short film "La Bête qui a dévoré le soleil" (2021) by Kais Majri is set in Tunisia in 1987, during the presidency of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The film follows an investigator named Ayad as he searches for clues in a child murder case. The film is produced by Imad Marzouki and will be screened on October 21, 2026, at 2:00 PM in the Corum Einstein hall, with a French translation and the presence of some team members.
In addition to the Tunisian films, the "Arab Fantasy Cinema" section will also feature two rare Egyptian films, "Baba Amin" (1950) by Youssef Chahine, and "Fangs" (1981) by Mohamed Chabel, which offers a free Egyptian reading of the film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".
The festival will also host a professional meeting on genre cinema on October 20, 2026, at 11:00 AM, as part of the "Arab-African Series Lab" program, which brings together nine writers from 28 African countries for an 11-month training program that started in December 2025.
The Mediterranean Film Festival in Montpellier, established in 1979, is one of the most prominent film events dedicated to Mediterranean and neighboring region cinematographies, combining film screenings, professional meetings, and related events.
Key points
- Three Tunisian films will be featured in the "Arab Fantasy Cinema" section at the 2026 Mediterranean Film Festival in Montpellier.
- The festival will also host a professional meeting on genre cinema and a training program for African writers.
- The event is part of the "Saison Méditerranée 2026" program, supported by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Institute in Paris.
