The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) has chosen The Voice of Hind Rajab, a docudrama directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, as its closing film. Returning for its 11th edition from November 11 to 20, the festival will present a diverse selection of films from over 30 Asian countries, including 20 official Oscar submissions.
Chosen as Tunisia’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards, the docudrama recounts the harrowing true story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, a girl from Gaza who was killed by Israeli forces. The film incorporates authentic voice recordings of Hind and Palestinian Red Crescent responders who tried desperately to save her after she placed an emergency call on January 29, 2024, while trapped in a car under fire.
Since Venice, The Voice of Hind Rajab has been selected for top-tier festivals in Toronto, Chicago, Cairo and London, further expanding its international reach.
The AWFF unveiled the first wave of its 2025 lineup, revealing details for the opening, closing and centrepiece films, as well as competition titles and the Asian Vision Programme, which spotlights emerging voices in Asian cinema. The festival also announced the members of its main jury, who will oversee the competition’s top honours.
Over the course of ten days, audiences will experience more than 45 screenings, with 15 titles competing for the Snow Leopard awards, including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Jury Discretionary Award, Special Jury Prize and Audience Award.
This year’s festival will also feature a number of acclaimed international titles, such as Jafar Panahi’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36, Cherien Dabis’s All That’s Left of You and Alireza Khatami’s The Things You Kill.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Editorial Staff)
