Projects from Algeria’s Sofia Djama and UK-based Jordanian Bassel Ghandour are among the six selected for the Final Cut in Venice work-in-progress lab, running from September 6-8.
Launched in 2013, Final Cut in Venice supports projects from all African countries and six countries of the Middle East: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen.
Djama returns to Venice after her debut feature The Blessed premiered in Horizons at the 2017 festival, winning the section’s best actress award for Lyna Koudri. Djama is taking part in the lab with A Quarter To Thursday, a co-production between France, Belgium and Algeria. The project took part in Egypt’s CineGouna Platform in 2021 and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Lodge in 2022, and shot in Marseille in May.
Zita Hanrot, Grégory Montel and Faouzi Bensaïdi star in the story of a young woman seeking a secret abortion. The producer is Jean Bréhat for France’s Tessalit Productions, with Furyo Films and Belgium’s Artémis Productions as co-producers.
Ghandour’s Occupational Hazards is a dark comedy chronicling the experiences of a multi-generational Palestinian family, which was supported by the Doha Film Institute. The shoot wrapped in Jordan last month, and the film stars Hiam Abbass. Ghandour co-wrote and produced Theeb, which was nominated for a best foreign-language film Oscar in 2016. His feature directorial debut The Alleys premiered at Locarno in 2021.
Jordan’s Rula Nasser produces through Imaginarium Films. The film’s development was supported by the BFI and UK producer Charlotte Knowles (Palestine Comedy Club).
A prize of €10,000 will be given to the best film in post-production, decided by a yet-to-be-announced jury.
Final Cut in Venice 2026 titles
A Quarter To Thursday, dir. Sofia Djama (Fr-Belg-Alg)
Eldorado, The Taste Of The South, dir. Alaa Eddine Aljem (Mor-Fr-It-Nor)
Madi Makambu, dir. Machérie Ekwa Bahango (Congo DR-Fr-Belg)
Mehal Sefari, dir. Abraham Gezahagne (Ethiopia-Can-Ger-Neth-Nor-Saudi)
Occupational Hazards, dir. Bassel Ghandour (Jor-Qat-UK-Saudi-Palestine)
Plague, dir. Youssef Chebbi (Tunisia-Fr-Qat-Saudi-Slovenia)
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