PERSONALISED FILM PROMOTION
"Film is the fruit of artistic and creative energies"
Rotterdam - Berlin - Cannes - Karlovy Vary
Locarno - Venice - San Sebastian
Here's the next festival that we will be attending
WORLD PREMIERE
COMPETITION
THE STRANGER/L'ETRANGER
Directed by François Ozon
France - 142 mins - French and Arabic spoken
Cast: Benjamin Voisin, Rebecca Marder, Pierre Lottin, Denis Lavant
SYNOPSIS
Algiers, 1938. Meursault, a quiet and unassuming employee in his early thirties, attends his mother’s funeral without shedding a tear. The next day, he begins a casual affair with Marie, a work colleague. He quickly slips back into his usual routine. However, his daily life is soon about to be disrupted by his neighbor, Raymond Sintès, who draws Meursault into his shady dealings — until one blisteringly hot day, a tragic event occurs on a beach…
PRODUCTION
FOZ
CO-PRODUCTION
GAUMONT, FRANCE 2 CINÉMA, MACASSAR PRODUCTIONS and SCOPE PICTURES
SUPPORTED BY
CANAL+, FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS, CINÉ+OCS, CONIFOVA 22, CINÉMAGE 20, INDÉFILMS 14, and CINÉVENTURE 11
INTERNATIONAL SALES
GAUMONT INTERNATIONAL
FRENCH PRESS
André-Paul Ricci apricci.presse@gmail.com
Tony Arnoux tonyarnouxpresse@gmail.com
ITALIAN PRESS
Mario Locurcio
Tel: +39 3358383364
Interviews with Francois Ozon on nomination of distributor.
Interviews with Actors available without nomination.
INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS
Spain - BTEAM, Japan - Kino Films, Switzerland - Filmcoopi, Belgium - Athena, Netherlands - Cherry Pickers, Poland - Gutek, CIS - A one, Canada - Immina, Ex-Yugo - MCF, Romania - Independenta, Germany - Weltkino, Bulgaria - Cinelibri, Greece - Spentzos, Turkey - Bir Film, Portugal - Alambique, Serbia - MegaCom Film, UK - Curzon
GOOD TO KNOW
Based on the novel of Albert Camus - © Editions GALLIMARD 1942
SCREENINGS
Press Screening 1 : Tuesday 2nd of September at 8:30- Sala Darsena
Press Screening 2 : Tuesday 2nd of September at 11:00- Sala Grande
Official Screening : Tuesday 2nd of September at 16:15- Sala Grande
Repetition Screening 1 : Tuesday 2nd of September at 22:00- Palabiennale
Repetition Screening 2: Wednesday 3rd of September at 9:00- Palabiennale
PRESS ACTIVITIES
Photo call : Tuesday 2nd of September at 12:40- Casino 3rd Floor
Press Conference : Tuesday 2nd of September at 13:20- Casino 3rd Floor
Italian Interviews
- Tuesday 2nd of September at 11:00-12:15- Hungaria Hotel
- International Interviews Wednesday 3rd of September at 10:30-12:30- Hungaria Hotel
PRESS MATERIAL
https://ftp.gaumont.com/DISTRIBUTION/Films2025/LEtranger/PressMaterial.zip
WORLD PREMIERE
VENICE SPOTLIGHT
HIJRA
Directed by Shahad Ameen
Kingdom of Saudia Arabia - 110 mins - Arabic spoken
Cast : Khairia Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhafiri, Lamar Fadan, and Baraa Alem
SYNOPSIS
Innocent 12-year-old Janna embarks on a journy towards Mecca to preform Hajj with her strict
grandmother Sitti and rebellious 18-year-old sister Sarah. But before they reach their destination,
Sarah disappears—forcing Janna and Sitti into a tense and urgent search.
Afraid of Sarah’s father discovering the truth, Sitti and Janna push themselves to the limit,
determined to uncover why Sarah vanished. Their journey stretches from the south of Saudi
Arabia to its northern borders, crossing old pilgrimage routes and confronting strangers,
unforgiving landscapes, and long-buried family secrets.
As they grow closer, Janna begins to uncover stories from Sitti’s rich and complicated past. The
search for Sarah reveals deep intergenerational rifts between the women in their family. And as
their harsh journey begins to mirror the spiritual trials of Hajj itself, Janna and Sitti may find
something even more powerful than reconciliation—redemption
PRODUCTION
IRAQI INDEPENDENT FILM CENTERMOHAMED JABARAH AL-DARADJI
BEIT AMEEN FOR PRODUCTION-
IDEATION STUDIOS- FAISAL BALTYOR
CO-PRODUCTION
AYMAN JAMAL and MOHAMMED ALAWI
FILM CLINIC - MOHAMED HEFZY
HUMANFILM-ALI AL-DARRAJI
THREE ARTS- ABBOUD AYASH
RED SEA FUND
FILM ALULA
SUPPORTED BY
FILM COMMISSION, DAW FILM , NEOM and ITHRA FILM FUND
GOOD TO KNOW
The selection of Hijra marks a major milestone in Ameen’s growing international career. Her acclaimed debut Scales also premiered at Venice, represented Saudi Arabia in the Oscar race, and went on to win more than 15 international awards. With Hijra, her second feature, Ameen returns to the Lido as writer and director, with Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji serving as lead producer. The film has been over three years in the making.
"Hijra is one of the most challenging films I’ve ever worked on. We filmed in remote cities and regions, but we deeply believed in the importance of telling this story, a tale of Saudi women from different generations, set within a rich human and historical context." (Shahad Ameen)
Shot across nine Saudi locations including AlUla, Bani Malik, Taif, Jeddah, Madinah, Tayma, Tabuk, NEOM and Duba, capturing the country’s vast geographical and cultural diversity. With Hijra, Ameen crafts an intergenerational portrait of women whose personal and emotional journeys echo broader themes of identity, history and belonging
SCREENINGS
Press Screening : Wednesday 28th of August at 14:30- Sala Giardino
Official Screening : Thursday 28th of August at 21:00- Sala Giardino followed by Q&A
Repetition Screening Friday 29th of August at 9:00- Sala Giardino
PRESS ACTIVITIES
Photo Call : Thursday 28th of August at 11:00-Casino 3rd Floor
Interviews :
- Thursday 28th of August- Arabic Press - 16:45-17:45
- Friday 29th of August between 12:00-15:00- Casino 2nd Floor International
PRESS MATERIAL
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yKrlJTEzpg6dF448Rja76ZQD9TVX2kNi
WORLD PREMIERE
Settimana della Critica / Critic's week
GORGONÁ
Directed by Eva Kalogiropoulou
Greece - 95 mins - Greek spoken
Cast: Melissanthi Mahut (Maria), Aurora Marion, Christos Loulis, Kostas Nikouli, Stavros Svigos, Hercules Tsuzinov, Ksenia Dania, Erifili Kitzoglou, Errika Bigiou, Niki Vakali, Myrto Kontoni, Nayla Gougni, Vasilis Mihas, and Tonia Sotiropoulou
SYNOPSIS
Greece. A small, impoverished city-state, dominated by a gigantic refinery, which provides the town's only resource: petrol. The men, all armed, hold absolute power. Nikos, their leader, is gravely ill and must arrange his succession. Shock spreads when he includes his protegée, Maria, among the contenders. The fate of this young woman, who has been ignoring the most dramatic part of her family’s history, will change with the arrival of Eleni, a singer at the town’s bar.
PRODUCTION
NEDAFILM
COPRODUCTION
BLUE MONDAY, KIDAM and BLONDE
INTERNATIONAL SALES
PLAYTIME GROUP
GOOD TO KNOW
"Gorgonà is the fulfilment of that fantasy, my love letter to the action and western genre. It is a dystopian revenge film infused with supernatural elements and feminist fury. At its core, it’s a story of emancipation through desire: how love between two women sparks inner transformation and challenges a world built to suppress them." (Evi Kalogiropoulou)
Evi Kalogiropoulou is a Greek film director and visual artist. Her projects explore ideas associated with inclusion/exclusion, cross-culture identity, female figures in Ancient Greek mythology frames, and post-apocalyptic environments. Her previous shorts MOTORWAY 65 and ON XERXES’ THRONE both premiered in Cannes, while her later project ALEXANDRIA, an Onassis Foundation commission, was presented at the New Museum in New York. Her debut feature GORGONÀ has been awarded at Cinemart and Atelier Cinefondation in 2021 and is having its world premiere at Venice Critics’ Week.
SCREENINGS
Press Screening : Saturday 30th of August at 8:30- Sala Perla
Official Screening : Sunday 31st of August at 13:30- Sala Perla followed by Q&A
Repetition Screening 1: Monday 1st of September at 19:15- Sala Corinto
Repetition Screening 2: Saturday 6th of September at 14:00- Sala Perla
PRESS ACTIVITIES
Photo Call : Sunday 31st of August 12:30- Casa della Critica (Via San Giovanni d'Acri 6)
Monday 1st September 14:00-16:00- Casa della Critica (Via San Giovanni D'Acri 6)
PRESS MATERIAL
WORLD PREMIERE
Giornate degli Autori
MEMORY OF PRINCESS MUMBI
Directed by Damien Hauser
Switzerland/Kenya - 80 mins - English spoken
Cast: Shandra Apondi, Ibraham Joseph, Samson Waithaka,
Michael Garama, Damien Hauser and Newton Ronnoh
SYNOPSIS
In 2094, aspiring director Kuve films a documentary on the Great War of the 2070s, which erased modern technology and revived kingdoms. Expecting to find despair in Umata, the heart of the war’s aftermath, he instead discovers a village that has found peace. There, he meets Mumbi, who shows him the beauty in everyday moments. Memory of Princess Mumbi unfolds through Kuve’s old behind-the-scenes footage, capturing how people find meaning in a tragic world and how even the smallest moments can hold profound beauty.
PRODUCTION
OUT OF MY MIND FILMS
CO-PRODUCTION
HAUSERFILM
Produced by DAMIEN HAUSER
Alongside co-producers KALEEM AFTAB and SHANDRA APONDI
SUPPORTED BY
RED SEA FILM FUND
INTERNATIONAL SALES
PARADISE CITY
GOOD TO KNOW
Damien Hauser does it all with this film, as writer, director, producer, editor, and cinematographer.
Memory of Princess Mumbi is a new genre of African Sci-Fi made possible by AI. With a cast of new stars from East African cinema, this will be the first film made in Kenya at Giornate degli Autori.
SCREENINGS
Press Screening : Thursday 28th of August at 22:00- Sala Corinto
Official Screening : Monday 1st of September at 17:00- Sala Perla followed by Q&A
Repetition Screening : Friday 5th of September at 21:30- Sala Corinto
PRESS ACTIVITIES
Photo Call : Monday 1st of September 15:15at Giornate degli Autori
Interviews : Tuesday 2nd of September at 16:00-19:00- Giornate degli Autori
PRESS MATERIAL
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oUp7TDO3-Tk0xp5xCXOqjxIiY-dafKnc?usp=sharing
WORLD PREMIERE
Giornate degli Autori
WHO IS STILL ALIVE / QUI VIT ENCORE
Directed by Nicolas Wadimoff
Switzerland - 113 mins - Arabic spoken
Cast : Jawdat Khoudari, Mahmoud Jouda, Adel Altaweel, Haneen Harara,
Malak Khadra, Hanaa EleiwaFiraz Elshrafi, Eman Shanan and Ghada Alabadla
SYNOPSIS
A map of Gaza, its cities, camps and neighborhoods. White paint on a black ground. In the sketchy outlines, nine refugees who escaped the inferno tell their stories. Their lives before, their dreams now buried, the dangers, the rubble, the loss of loved ones. Existences oppressed, hampered, but not yet reduced to ashes, not yet totally plunged into oblivion and darkness. By sharing their stories, the protagonists of Qui Vit Encore attempt to reconnect with themselves, to stop being ghosts. To come back, perhaps, to life.
PRODUCTION
AKKA FILMS - KESIA STOCKER and NICOLAS WADIMOFF
EASY RIDER FILMS - NADIA TURINCEV and Omar El Kadi
PHILISTINE FILMS- OSSAMA BAWARDI and MAY JABAREEN
LINE PRODUCTION IN SOUTH AFRICA
ANAPHORA FILMS - SIFISO KHANYILE and TSHEGO KANYILE
COPRODUCTION
RTS RADIO TÉLÉVISION SUISSE
SUPPORTED BY
SWISS FEDERAL OFFICE OF CULTURE, CINÉFOROM and LOTERIE ROMANDE
GOOD TO KNOW
Director Nicolas Wadimoff is Swiss. This is his 7th film shot in or about Palestine. After studying film in Montreal, Nicolas Wadimoff presented his first short film The Bowl(1991) in Locarno. Guitarist in an alt-rock band, he cofounded L’Usine, an independent Genevan cultural centre. In 1992, he directed Les Gants d’Or d’Akka, the portrait of a Palestinian boxer, and in 1997, with Denis Chouinard, Wadimoff directed his first fiction Clandestins.He founded Akka Films in 2003, a production company that has accompanied, among others, many Palestinian filmmakers. Aisheen (2010), shot in Gaza, had its world premiere at the Berlinale. The Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes hosted his return to fiction with Opération Libertad (2012). Spartiates(2015), portrait of an MMA coach in the northern parts of Marseille, won the Soleure Prize, and L’Apollon de Gaza (2018) opened Locarno’s Critics’ Week. After a detour in education at the HEAD - Genève (2019-2023), he directed in 2025, with Lyana Saleh, une histoire provisoire.
"I see the film as a bridge between the intimate and collective experience of a devastated people, and the spectators who will become witnesses. A motion to think the unthinkable together. To question, search, rethink our humanity, the one we are losing, the one we must reclaim. To stay alive, over there, and here." (Nicolas Wadimoff)
SCREENINGS
NO PRESS SCREENING
Official Screening : Wednesday 3rd of September at 11:15- Sala Perla followed by a Q&A
Repetition Screening : Friday 5th of September 11:00- Sala Perla
PRESS ACTIVITIES
Photo Call : Wednesday 3rd of September at 15:30at Giornate deli Autori
Interviews : Thursday 4th of September at 13:30-15:30- Giornate degli Autori
PRESS MATERIAL
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1K6H9fdEWpXjmuWwv1B5TdpiFTfyX7KG8?usp=drive_link