Hélène Louvart AFC wins Best Cinematography for Palestine 36 at 10th Critics Awards for Arab Films

May 19, 2026

A collection of awards on a wooden table — The awards span 10 categories, honouring excellence across feature, documentary and short films (Credit: Courtesy of the ACC)

The Arab Cinema Center held the 10th Critics Awards for Arab Films on 16 May at a special ceremony at Cannes’ Plage des Palmes – held on the sidelines of the Marché du Film of the 79th Cannes Film Festival – in which it honoured some of the Arab World’s greatest indie productions of the past year.

This included Hélène Louvart AFC, whose work on powerful drama Palestine 36 saw her scoop Best Cinematography.

“As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Critics Awards for Arab Films, our mission has remained steadfast: to spotlight the finest Arab films and talents and help bring them the international recognition they deserve,” commented ACC co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab.

“This year’s winners were selected by an unprecedented jury of 307 film critics from around the world, reflecting the excellence of these films and the remarkable talents behind them whose artistry stands shoulder to shoulder with the highest international standards of filmmaking and creativity,” they added.

The 10th edition of the ceremony also honoured prominent figures whose contributions have had a “remarkable impact” on the Arab film and entertainment industry.

The Game Changer Award was presented to Vincenzo Bugno in recognition of his “influential role in supporting Arab cinema and strengthening its international presence”, while the Personality of the Year Award was granted to Hussein Fahmy in celebration of his “outstanding artistic career and continued contributions to Arab cinema”.

Selected by a record‑breaking jury of 307 critics from 75 countries, who viewed the films through ACC’s partner Festival Scope, the awards span 10 categories, honouring excellence across feature, documentary and short films, as well as outstanding talents in acting, directing, cinematography, music composition, screenwriting and editing.

The list of the winners is as follows:

Best Cinematography

Hélène Louvart AFC | PALESTINE 36

Best Feature Film

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA | Arab and Tarzan Nasser | Palestine

Best Screenplay

Annemarie Jacir | PALESTINE 36

Best Director

Cherien Dabis | ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU

Best Actress

Deborah Christelle Naney | PROMISED SKY

Best Actor