Born in Tunisia in 1954, he graduated from the Teachers' Training School of Tunis. He works as assistant lecturer in Arts and Humanities at Manouba, where he equally teaches French Literature and Cinema (film analysis and film history). In the process, he trains students from EDAC, a private school of Arts and Cinema. Tahar Chikhaoui is the founder and organiser of "Cinecrits", a review published in Tunisia. He has also authored several cinema articles in Tunisia and abroad. He is also the Artistic Director of International Meetings for Arab Cinemas in Marseille.