Tunisia’s Carthage Film Festival cancelled in solidarity with Palestinians

The Tunisian government has announced the cancellation of the 34th Carthage Film Festival, Africa’s oldest cinema showcase, in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Scheduled to take place in Tunisia from October 28 to November 4, the festival, which accepts entries only from Arab or African directors, is a major event in the Tunisian cultural calendar.

However, the culture ministry said in a statement it was cancelling the event “in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and considering the critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip … following the brutal Zionist aggression”.

Tunisia, which hosted the Palestine Liberation Organisation from 1982 to 1994, has long been a firm supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Public protests have taken place across Tunisia against the retaliatory strikes, which Israel launched on Gaza following a shock Hamas attack on October 7, which killed at least 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

The cancellation of the Carthage Film Festival comes a day after organisers announced the postponement of the Cairo International Film Festival.

The festival was scheduled to take place between November 15 to 24. According to the festival’s Instagram page, the decision to postpone was made by Neven El-Kelany, Egypt’s Minister of Culture.

“Minister of Culture Dr Neven El-Kelany has decided to postpone the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, which was scheduled to take place from November 15 to 24. The new date for the festival will be determined later,” the post reads.

The Marrakech International Film Festival is due to take place between November 24 and December 2, whereas Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival is set to run from November 30 to December 9. It is not yet clear whether the two festivals will take place as scheduled.