The MENA films to watch for competing in the Best International Feature category at the 2025 Oscars

More than half of the officially recognised MENA countries have already selected their national film entries for consideration in the upcoming 97th Academy Awards nominations for Best International Feature.

The finalists will be announced on 17 January, and the ceremony will take place on 3 March 2025.

Additionally, Germany has submitted the widely discussed The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Mohammad Rasoulof, a film set entirely in Iran, which led to the director's prison sentence and subsequent exile.

Meanwhile, Jordan has chosen to compete with a heartfelt story offering a close look at the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — a narrative unrelated to the Jordanian context but supported by the Jordan Film Fund.

A notable trend among the other contenders is their preference for classic genre narrative structures, a characteristic that may increase their chances of recognition in the context of the North American film industry, which is heavily influenced by the Hollywood genre-based model.

Ahead of the 2025 Oscars, The New Arab takes a look at the entries for the nominations for Best International Feature:

Algiers (2024)

Director: Chakib Taleb-Bendiab - Algeria

When a young girl's abduction sparks a wave of tension and suspicion throughout the city, Dounia, a sharp-witted psychiatrist, teams up with Sami, a committed police inspector, to unravel Algeria's haunting past and solve a baffling mystery.

Taleb-Bendiab's debut feature made its world premiere at the Flickers' Rhode Island Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prize for Best Feature.

Produced as a co-production between Algeria and Canada, the film features the established Algerian actor Nabil Asli, whose star rose in Merzak Allouache’s The Repentant, which was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

Flight 404 (2024)

Director: Hani Khalifa - Egypt

With only a few days remaining before her pilgrimage to Mecca for Hajj, Ghada faces an urgent financial crisis, forcing her to seek help from individuals she had distanced herself from long ago.

As she reconnects with this tainted part of her past, the question arises: will she manage to overcome the challenge in time for Hajj, or will this return to old ties drag her back into a troubled life she had left behind?

Starring popular Egyptian actress Mona Zaki, Flight 404 is a local box-office hit and, in February 2024, got a limited release in the U.S. and Canada through distributor Ceema Films, a company that focuses on bringing Arabic films to international theatres.

Later on, the film was distributed in Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and the Netherlands as well.

In the Arms of the Tree (2023)

Director: Babak Lotfi Khajepasha - Iran

Prior to being chosen for the Oscars race, the film had already been showcased at both the Shanghai International TV Festival and the Fajr Film Festival.

The story delves into the complicated life struggles of Kimia and Farid, a couple married for twelve years, whose actions shatter the peaceful and innocent world of their children — children who have only ever known simplicity and kindness.

The film ultimately highlights the significance of love, connection, and the delicate effort required to keep a family together during times of crisis.

“For me, family is one of the most important foundations of human society, and I believe we should do whatever we can to preserve it. From the very beginning, I wanted to create something meaningful,” said director Babak Lotfi Khajepasha in an interview for Tehran Times.

Baghdad Messi (2023)

Director: Sahim Omar Kalifa – Iraq

This is the extended version of the director’s short film of the same title, which made it to the shortlist in 2014 in the Live-Action Short category of the 87th Academy Awards.

Based on the screenplay and short story by Kobe Van Steenberghe, the film features Hamoudi, an 11-year-old boy with a passion for soccer, who dreams of becoming as great as his idol, Lionel Messi.

However, his life takes a tragic turn when he becomes the victim of a failed suicide bombing in Iraq, resulting in the loss of his leg.

Despite his parents' efforts to shield the family from further harm, Hamoudi remains determined to fight for his dream, refusing to let the tragedy define his future.

Belgium-based Kurdish director Sahim Omar Kalifa shot the film in 2021 within the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, the same place where the short film was recorded.

My Sweet Land (2024)

Director: Sareen Hairabedian - Jordan

Primarily produced by the US-based production company HAI Creative, Sareen Hairabedian’s debut feature-length documentary received financial support from the Jordan Film Fund, thus the country’s committee decided to send it as its official representative.

It tackles the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the territory of Artsakh in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been at the heart of a violent dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the 1980s.

The plot features eleven-year-old Vrej, who dreams of becoming a dentist in his Artsakh village, but when conflict resurges, his family is forced to flee.

They return to a homeland in ruins after their people lose the war. Confronted with the harsh new realities, Vrej grapples with the burden of his dreams and the trauma of war while preparing for future challenges.

The film premiered at Sheffield DocFest and went on to screen at several festivals, including the Amman International Film Festival, where it won both the Jury Award for Best Feature Documentary and the FIPRESCI Award for Best Arab Feature Documentary.

Everybody Loves Touda (2024)

Director: Nabil Ayouch - Morocco

Established director Nabil Ayouch is representing Morocco in the Oscars race for the sixth time with a drama that explores the country’s Sheikhat tradition — a form of sung poetry performed by women, originating from 19th-century rural communities.

The script is co-written by Maryam Touzani, whose directorial hit Adam (2019) featured actress Nisrin Erradi in a powerful performance, and she also plays the main role in Everybody Loves Touda.

Here, Erradi performs Touda, a young woman aspiring to restore the lost glory of Sheikhat. Instead, she finds herself singing in provincial bars, objectified by lustful men.

Determined to change her fate, Touda plans to leave her small village for the bustling city of Casablanca, where she hopes to be recognised as a true artist and secure a better future for herself and her son.

From Ground Zero (2024)

Director: Rashid Masharawi – Palestine

Amid the daily images of death and destruction from Gaza as Israel continues its aggressive attacks, this year’s Palestinian film entry offers a different perspective on life in the region.

From Ground Zero is a compelling initiative that showcases 22 short films by talented filmmakers from Gaza.

Spearheaded by acclaimed Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, the project emerged amidst ongoing conflict and aims to give young artists a platform to express their perspectives.

Each short, spanning 3 to 6 minutes, offers a unique view of life in Gaza, portraying the challenges, tragedies, and resilience experienced by its people.

Featuring a variety of genres — fiction, documentary, docu-fiction, animation, and experimental cinema — the collection presents a rich array of stories that reflect the sorrow, joy, and hope inherent in Gazan life.

Despite the difficult filming conditions, the vibrant artistic community in Gaza shines through, delivering an intimate and powerful portrayal of daily life and the enduring spirit of its people.

Palestine has been submitting films to the Oscars since 2003 and has earned two nominations with Paradise Now and Omar, both directed by Hany Abu-Assad.

Take My Breath (2023)

Director: Nada Mezni Hfaiedh - Tunisia

Nada Mezni Hfaiedh's groundbreaking drama stars Amina Ben Ismail as Shams, a 23-year-old seamstress whose peaceful life is upended when her intersex identity and involvement in a steamy love triangle are exposed. As Shams becomes the target of a dangerous stalker, she is forced to flee to the capital, Tunis, for safety.

Take My Breath had its world premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival last year and has been a box office hit at home, while the character of Shams is performed by Amina, who recently appeared alongside Gael García Bernal and Renate Reinsve in Pierro Mesina’s Berlin Film Festival entry Another End.

Hayat (2023)

Director: Zeki Demirkubuz - Turkey

Perhaps the most artistic, layered, and unconventional work on the current list is Zeki Demirkubuz’s Hayat, a 193-minute drama with existentialist themes set in modern-day Turkey.

After his fiancée Hicran abruptly leaves town, breaking off their arranged engagement without explanation, Riza becomes increasingly depressed and embarks on a journey to Istanbul to find her — a woman he barely knows but whose image haunts him.

Through Hicran’s interactions with the men in her life, the film offers a sharp portrayal of the wounded male psyche, ranging from vengeful and entitled to petulant and self-destructive.

Despite the men’s insecurities and tortured projections, Hicran remains dignified and inscrutable, surrendering herself to whatever fate holds for her.

Mariana Hristova is a freelance film critic, cultural journalist, and programmer. She contributes to national and international outlets and has curated programs for Filmoteca De Catalunya, Arxiu Xcèntric, goEast Wiesbaden, etc. Her professional interests include cinema from the European peripheries and archival and amateur films