Arab Cinema Center Announces 2026 Golden 101 List

The Arab Cinema Center (ACC) has unveiled its annual Golden 101 list for 2026, highlighting the most influential figures in the Arab film industry who have stood out over the past twelve months, with full profiles published in the 26th issue of Arab Cinema Magazine to be circulated at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival (May 12th–23rd).

From May 2025 to April 2026, these individuals and institutions have helped advance Arab cinema, whether by making films, organizing festivals, closing key deals, or supporting new talent. Each one earned their place through genuine impact.

With a fair few regulars returning as well as entirely new names, this year’s list, which includes a large number of Arab women, features 20 filmmakers, eight actors, 18 production companies, seven crew members, and seven festivals. 

Rounding out the list are four NGOs, three art houses, seven funders, six broadcasters and streamers, nine enablers, and 11 exhibitors and distributors that continue to champion Arab cinema across borders.

The filmmakers who made it to this year’s list are Annemarie Jacir (Palestine), Cyris Aris (Lebanon), Danielle Arbid (Lebanon), Erige Sehiri (France, Tunisia), Hasan Hadi (Iraq), Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia), Karim El Shenawy (Egypt), Leyla Bouzid (Tunisia), Marwan Hamed (Egypt), Maryam Touzani (Morocco), Mehdi Hmili (Tunisia), Mohammed Hammad (Egypt), Morad Mostafa (Egypt), Sarah Goher (US, UK), Shahad Ameen (KSA), Suzannah Mirghani (Russia, Sudan), Tarek Alarian (Egypt, Palestine), Tarzan and Arab Nasser (Palestine), Yannis Koussim (Algeria), and Zain Duraie (Jordan).

Meanwhile, the on-screen talents from the actors' section include Ahmed Malek (Egypt), Clara Khoury (Palestine), Dhafer L'Abidine (Tunisia), Hiam Abbass (Palestine), Kamel El Basha (Palestine), Majd Eid (Jordan), Saleh Bakri (Palestine), and Yousra (Egypt).

Behind the camera, the crew section features DOP Abdelsalam Moussa (Egypt), composer Amine Bouhafa (Tunisia), DOP Christopher Aoun (Germany, Lebanon), composer Hesham Nazih (Egypt), DOP Mostafa El Kashef (Egypt), sound designer, editor, and director Rana Eid (Lebanon), and composer Suad Bushnaq (Canada, Jordan).

As for the production companies and producers on this year’s list, they are A.A. Films (Egypt), Abbout Productions (Lebanon), producer Alaa Alasad (Jordan), Al Rumi Films (Canada), The Imaginarium Films (Jordan), Bonanza Films (Egypt), Cinetelefilms (Tunisia), Cocoon Films, Film Clinic (FC) and Film Clinic Indie Distribution (FCID) (Egypt), Film Square (Egypt), Maneki Films, Nomadis Images (Tunisia), Red Star for Production and Distribution (Egypt), Station Films (Sudan), Philistine Films (Palestine), Shift Studios (Egypt), Rise Studios, Rani Massalha (Egypt, Palestine), and Ahmed Desouky (Egypt).

Moving on to the festivals’ section, it includes the Amman International Film Festival - Awal Film, the Cairo International Film Festival, the Carthage Film Festival, the El Gouna Film Festival, the Malmö Arab Film Festival, the Marrakech International Film Festival, and the Red Sea International Film Festival.

As for the NGOs, they are FILMLAB: PALESTINE (Palestine), AFLAMUNA (Lebanon), Palestine Film Institute, and Sharjah Art Foundation (UAE). The Art houses’ section includes Cinema Akil (UAE), Metropolis Cinema (Lebanon), and Zawya Cinema & Distribution (Egypt), while the funders are the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (Lebanon), the Doha Film Institute (Qatar), The International Emerging Film Talent Fund (Greece), the Red Sea Fund (Saudi Arabia), the World Cinema Fund (Germany), the Kurdistan Film Fund (Kurdistan), and the Iraq Film Fund (Iraq).

The broadcasters and streamers section includes Arab Radio and Television Network (KSA), MBC Group (KSA), Netflix (US), OSN (UAE), United Media Services (Egypt), and Yango Play (UAE).

The enablers section includes Fineprint Aliaa Zaky (Egypt), Film AlUla (KSA), General Authority for Entertainment (KSA), Final Cut in Venice (Italy), MAD Solutions (Egypt, UAE, and Portugal), Moroccan Center for Cinematography (Morocco), Royal Film Commission of Jordan (Jordan), Saudi Film Commission (SFC), Film Saudi (KSA), and Raya Abirached (Lebanon).

Last, but certainly not least, the exhibitors and distributors featured this year are Empire International (Lebanon), Empire International Gulf (UAE), and Allied Film Distributors (Egypt); Gulf Film, Novo Cinemas, and Novo Pictures (UAE); Front Row Filmed Entertainment (UAE); Iraqi Cinema (Iraq); Kuwait National Cinema Company- Cinescape (Kuwait); Majid Al Futtaim Leisure: Vox Cinemas, Vox Studios (UAE); Misr International Films (Egypt) and Orient Films (UAE); Muvi Cinemas (KSA); Prime Cinemas, Empire Cinema, and CINEMACITY (UAE); SELIM RAMIA & CO. HOLDING (Lebanon); and Watermelon Pictures (USA).