Cannes Directors’ Fortnight: ’The President’s Cake,’ Iraq’s First Film at the Festival, Wins People’s Choice Audience Award

Cannes: Hasan Hadi’s ‘The President’s Cake’ Wins Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award

Newcomer’s tragicomic debut, inspired by his childhood under Saddam Hussein, earns raves and the only audience prize across all Cannes sections.

Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Winners: Iraqi Film ‘The President’s Cake’ Clinches People’s Choice Audience Award

Iraqi director Hasan Hadi’s first feature The President’s Cake has won the second edition of the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight People’s Choice audience award. New York-based Hadi has tapped into his own childhood in southern Iraq in the 1990s, growing up under the regime of President Saddam Hussein and the socio-economic crisis provoked by international sanctions, […]

Cannes Directors’ Fortnight: ’The President’s Cake,’ Iraq’s First Film at the Festival, Wins People’s Choice Audience Award

Hailed by Variety as a “warm and heart-tugging tale,” Hasan Hadi’s “The President’s Cake,” Iraq’s first film selected for Cannes, has won the Directors’ Fortnight People’s Choice prize, the first audience award at Cannes and a Directors’ Fortnight plaudit which take into consideration any film from any part of the world. The prestigious award builds on auspicious […]

The screening, on 17 May, of the animated film "Le parfum d'Iraq" (2024) provoked a wave of palpable emotion in the room of the French Institute of Meknes. The post Ficam: 的Le parfum d'Iraq, film sweet-amer sur l'infance et la guerre appeared first on LesEco.ma.

Top 5 films from the Middle East and north Africa at Cannes

Film and TV Top 5 films from the Middle East and north Africa at Cannes These films from the Mena region and its diaspora demonstrate the power of storytelling as a form of resistance Alexander Durie – 23 May 2025 The President’s Cake is the first film by an Iraqi film-maker to be selected for Cannes. Film still courtesy of Films Boutique The Cannes film festival’s 78th edition closes this weekend with standout films from Joachim Trier, Richard …

The public choice, the Europa Cinemas label and the SACD Coup de coeur of the parallel selection were announced. After having won the Canadian Matthew Rankin last year for the first edition of the prize, the audience awarded the Iraqi Hasan Adi for The President's Cake. A story that takes place under Saddam Hussein, where a girl is entrusted with the task of making a cake for the president's birthday. Shown at the Rencontres Afcae, the film will…