Annemarie Jacir’s ‘Palestine 36’ has emerged as the leading contender at the 10th Critics Awards for Arab Films, topping this year’s nominations announced by the Arab Cinema Centre (ACC).
The annual awards are voted on by a record 307 Arab and international critics across 75 countries. The winners will be announced during the Cannes Film Festival on May 16.
Palestine 36 has secured six nominations, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. It is followed closely by Maryam Touzani’s ‘Calle Málaga’ with five nominations, Cherien Dabis’ ‘All That’s Left of You’ with four and ‘Yunan’, ‘My Father’s Scent’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Gaza’ with three nominations each.
Kaouther Ben Hania’s ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’, which previously earned acclaim at Venice and an Oscar shortlist position, received a single nomination in the Best Director category.
Set against the backdrop of the 1936–1939 Palestinian revolt against British rule, Palestine 36 premiered in Toronto last year and has since toured major international festivals, winning the Tokyo Grand Prix and making the Academy Awards shortlist for Best International Feature Film.
The film has also been released in North America, the UK and several European territories.
Among other major contenders, Calle Málaga, starring Carmen Maura, premiered in Venice where it won the Audience Award. All That’s Left of You debuted at Sundance and also reached the Oscars shortlist.
Selected major nominations
Best Feature Film: Palestine 36, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, All That’s Left of You, Calle Málaga, Cotton Queen
Best Director: Annemarie Jacir, Maryam Touzani, Cherien Dabis, Tarzan and Arab Nasser, Kaouther Ben Hania
Best Actress: Carmen Maura, Yasmine Al Massri, Mounia Akl, Deborah Christelle Naney, Baneen Ahmad Nayyef
Best Actor: Dhafer L’Abidine, Georges Khabbaz, Ahmed Malek, Adham Shukr, Nawwaf Aldaferi
Other categories include Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Documentary and Best Short Film, featuring a wide range of films from across the Arab world.
Recent winners of the Best Film award include Thank You For Banking With Us! (2025) and Goodbye Julia (2024).
