Tunisian filmmaker known for award-winning international features
Venice Film Festival has crowned Woman Unknown as best film, with May el-Toukhy becoming a rare female Golden Lion director. Silver Lion goes to Possible Love; DAU wins best director. A Gaza-focused documentary, NAZA, earns a special jury prize amid record ovations, while John Malkovich wins best actor for Wild Horse Nine.
Venice has announced its lineup with new titles and a slate that mirrors Cannes in its mix of international cinema and documentaries. TIFF has revealed more than 60 films for its gala and special presentations, signaling its role as a key market ahead of the fall awards race. The two festivals showcase a mix of traditional studio projects and bold indie filmmaking.
Venice Film Festival names NAZA, by Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, as the festival’s only documentary in competition. The film, shot at night from Tel Aviv rooftops, examines what the filmmakers describe as Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. It builds on reporting by +972, Local Call and The Guardian, with production by The Guardian and JW Films and executive producing by Jonathan Glazer. The festival runs 2–12 September.
Arab designers are spotlighted in a New York bridal fashion week showcase, including Lebanese labels with couture gowns and designers across the region expanding into Dubai, Paris and New York runways. The round-up covers silhouettes, embroidery, and the global reach of Middle Eastern fashion houses.
An Israeli documentary titled NAZA has premiered at Venice, built on interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers. The film has presented testimony alleging an AI-assisted targeting system called "Lavender," mass surveillance of Gaza and routine strikes on homes; the Israeli military has rejected those claims and criticised anonymous sourcing.