A carefully curated selection of outstanding European titles, nominated by EFP’s member organisations, is competing for this year’s Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films, jointly hosted for the seventh time by European Film Promotion (EFP) and the Arab Cinema Center (ACC). 100 of the most prominent and influential Arab film critics from 16 Arab-speaking countries will decide on three favorites before announcing the winning film during the El Gouna Film Festival (16 – 24 October 2025).
The nominated films represent a wide range of genres and voices, many of which have premiered at major international festivals, won prestigious awards, or been submitted for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category for the Academy Awards such as such Young Mothers by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne for Belgium, Little Trouble Girls by Urška Djukić for Slovenia and Gar O'Rourke’s documentary Sanatorium for Ireland. Further award-winning films at international festivals include DJ Achmet by Georgi Unkovski (Special Jury Award, Audience Award/ Sundance Film Festival; Grand Prix Écran Juniors/ Cannes Film Festival; Special Youth Perspective Award, Cineuropa Prize/ Sarajevo Film Festival), Home Sweet Home by Frelle Petersen und Deaf by Eva Libertad (both awarded the Panorama Audience Award/ Berlin International Film Festival), Yunan by Ameer Fakher Eldin (Awards for Best Film and Best Actor/ Rotterdam Arab Film Festival), Celtic Utopia by Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén (Grand Prix Semaine de la Critique/ Locarno Film Festival) as well as Tales from the Magic Garden by David Súkup, Jean-Claude Rozec, Patrik Pašš and Leon Vidmar (ECFA Award for Best European Film for Children/ Giffoni Film Festival).
“As we step into the seventh edition of the Arab Critics’ Award for European Films, we are delighted to see more and more Arab critics joining the jury. Their dedication and expertise bring fresh perspectives and spark the dialogue about cinema worldwide. This year’s 20 nominated films from 20 different European countries reflect the wonderful diversity of European filmmaking.", says EFP Managing Director Sonja Heinen.
"At El Gouna Film Festival, we take pride in hosting the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films, where Arab critics can engage with the richness and diversity of European cinema. Their perspectives not only deepen cultural dialogue but also highlight the vital role they play in connecting filmmakers and audiences across regions. By hosting the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films, we reaffirm our commitment to empowering Arab critics and redefining the role of Arab festivals as bridges between worlds," adds Marianne Khoury, Artistic Director of El Gouna Film Festival.
ACC co-founders and managing partners Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab expressed their excitement of yet another year of the Arab Critic’s Awards. “As always, it’s a great pleasure to join forces with EFP for the 7th edition of the Arab Critics award for European Films, but it’s an even bigger pleasure toMarianne Khoury, Artistic Director of El Gouna Film Festival. have the opportunity to once again, amplify European cinema through our very own Arab critics and continue to expand the horizons for European films and filmmakers in the Arab-speaking region.”
The Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films was launched in 2019 by EFP and the ACC. It is a spin-off from the ACC’s well-established Critics' Awards to boost the diversity of films in the region and raise the interest of distribution companies and the industry for outstanding European films. This initiative also wishes to cast a spotlight onto distinguished film critics from 16 Arab-speaking countries and their important role of introducing new perspectives and bridging cultural differences and characteristics. Previous winners included, God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya by Teona Strugar Mitevska (2019), Undine by Christian Petzold (2020), 107 Mothers by Peter Kerekes (2021), EO by Jerzy Skolimowski (2022) Fallen Leaves by Aki Kaurismäki (2023) and The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Mohammad Rasoulof (2024).
The Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films in is made possible thanks to the support of Creative Europe – the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.
About European Film Promotion
EFP is an international network of film promotion institutes from 37 countries throughout Europe, each representing their national films and talent abroad.
Under the EFP flag, these organizations team up to jointly promote the diversity and spirit of European cinema and talent at key film festivals and markets, in particular outside of Europe.
EFP is financially supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Program of the EU and by its member organizations.
Its office in Hamburg supports the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, and the Hamburg Ministry of Culture.
About Arab Cinema Center
Organised by MAD Solutions in 2015, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is a non-profit organisation registered in Berlin. The ACC is an international promotional platform for Arab cinema as it provides the filmmaking industry with a professional window to connect with their counterparts from all over the world through a number of events that it organises. The ACC also provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialised in co-production and international distribution, among others. The ACC’s activities vary between film markets, stands, and pavilions, networking sessions, and one-to-one meetings bringing together Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, as well as meetings with international organisations and festivals, and the publication of the Arab Cinema Magazine to be distributed at the leading international film festivals and markets. Furthermore, newsletter subscription is now available on the ACC’s website, allowing users to obtain digital copies of the Arab Cinema Magazine as well as news on the ACC’s activities, notification of application dates for grants, festivals and offers from educational and training institutions, updates on Arab films participating at festivals, exclusive news on the Arab Cinema LAB, and highlights from the ACC’s partners and their future projects.
About El Gouna Film Festival
El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) was founded in 2017 with the mission to showcase a diverse range of films catering to a creative and well-versed audience. Designed for artists and filmmakers, GFF aspires to foster communication between cultures and filmmakers to benefit the industry and our region through the art of filmmaking by connecting filmmakers from the region with their international counterparts in the spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange. The festival is dedicated to the discovery of new voices and strives to be a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world, particularly through its industry segment, CneGouna Platform.
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