Two AFAC-supported films scooped awards at the Venice international film festival, which ran from September 2 to 12 with 5 films supported by AFAC among its line-up.

Zanka Contact by Moroccan filmmaker Ismaël el Iraki premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 77th Venice Film Festival, the first film festival to return in physical form in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Moroccan actress Khansa Batma won Best Actress at the Festival for her performance in El Iraki’s film.

The festival’s Final Cut section for post-production saw the participation of two AFAC-supported films, namely Guardian of the Worlds by Leïla Chaïbi from Tunisia and Harvest by Ely Dagher from Lebanon. The latter picked up the Best Film in Post-Production award. The remaining selected work-in-progress films of the 2020 edition are “Our Choices” by Salah Al Ashkar (Syria); “Hadjer” by Anis Djaad (Algeria); “Soula” by Salah Issaad (Algeria); and “The Blue Inmates” by Zeina Daccache (Lebanon).

Furthermore, the 7th edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market, organized as part of the Venice Production Bridge, took place during the festival (September 4 - September 6, 2020) and featured two AFAC-supported films: The Meursault Investigation by Malek Bensmail from Algeria, and The Greatest Wait by Razan AlSalah from Palestine.

Six other Arab films participated in Venice: “200 Meters” by Ameen Nayfeh (Palestine) which opened Giornate degli Autori and picked up the BNL Gruppo BNP Paribas People's Choice Award; “Honey Cigar” by Kamir Aïnouz (Algeria); “The Man Who Sold His Skin” by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia), which won the "Edipo Re Award ", one of the festival's collateral awards, and whose main male actor, Syrian Yahya Mahayni, was awarded the Orizzonti Prize for Best Actor ; “Under Her Skin” by Meriem Mesraoua (Algeria); and “Gaza Mon Amour” directed by Palestinian twins Arab and Tarzan Nasser.