Journeyes Cinematographiques de Carthage (JCC)

Overview

The Journeyes Cinematographiques de Carthage (JCC), also known as the Carthage Film Festival or Carthage Film Days, is the oldest film festival in Africa and the Arab world. Founded in 1966 in Tunis, Tunisia, the festival is dedicated to Arab and African cinema. It was originally biennial (alternating with the Carthage Theatre Festival) but became an annual event in 2014. The 36th edition took place from December 13 to 20, 2025, with Tarek Ben Chaabane as executive director.

The festival's main competition is restricted to films from African and Arab countries. The top prize is the Tanit d'Or (Golden Tanit), named after the ancient Carthaginian goddess Tanit. The 2024 (35th edition) Golden Tanit for feature fiction was awarded to "Red Path" by Lotfi Achour (Tunisia), which also won the Audience Prize. The 2024 edition was held December 14 to 21, chaired by Ferid Boughedir, with Lamia Belkaïd Guiga as artistic director.

The JCC is organized by a directing committee under the Tunisian Ministry of Culture. It is not FIAPF-accredited. The festival's official languages are French, Arabic, and English. Opening and closing ceremonies are held at the Theatre Municipal de Tunis (Municipal Theater of Tunis).

Submission Details

Submissions are made through the festival's official portal, not FilmFreeway.

For the 2025 (36th) edition, the feature film competition submission deadline was September 15, 2025. The 2024 edition extended its deadline to September 25, 2024. Deadlines are typically in September for a December festival. The official competition is reserved for African and Arab films in the following categories: feature-length fiction, short fiction (under 30 minutes), feature-length documentary, and short documentary.

The Cine Promesse competition is restricted to African and Arab film school productions. The Carthage Pro section includes the Chabaka workshop (for projects in development) and Takmil workshop (for films in post-production seeking completion support).

Premiere Status Requirements

The JCC does not require a world premiere for all competition sections, but films should not have had their Tunisian theatrical release before the festival. The official competition typically expects at least an African or Arab premiere. Check the festival's regulations on the submission portal for current requirements, as rules may vary by section and edition.

Competition Sections and Categories

Based on the 2024 and 2025 editions:

• Official Feature Film Competition - 12 Arab and African fiction features competing for the Tanit (Gold, Silver, Bronze)
• Official Short Film Competition - Arab and African fiction short films under 30 minutes, competing for Tanit awards
• Documentary Competition - Arab and African feature and short documentaries, competing for Tanit awards
• Cine Promesse - school films from African and Arab film schools, judged by an international jury
• National Competition (Tunisia) - separate competition for Tunisian films (Best Feature, Best Short, Best Documentary)
• Panorama Section - non-competitive Arab and African films
• International Section - recent international films of artistic quality, non-competitive
• Tribute / Retrospective - programs honoring pioneers of African and Arab cinema
• Carthage Pro - professional section with Chabaka (development workshop), Takmil (post-production workshop), Carthage Talks, and Meet the Talents

Awards and Prizes

The JCC awards Tanit prizes in Gold, Silver, and Bronze across multiple categories. The festival does not publish specific cash prize amounts in its publicly available regulations. The primary value of a Tanit award is cultural and industry recognition within African and Arab cinema circuits.

2024 Feature Film Competition Winners:

• Golden Tanit: "Red Path" by Lotfi Achour (Tunisia)
• Silver Tanit: "To a Land Unknown" by Mahdi Fleifel (Palestine)
• Bronze Tanit: "Demba" by Mamadou Dia (Senegal)
• Special Jury Mention: "Rambo. Mr. for Haven Seeking" by Khaled Mansour (Egypt)
• Audience Award (ex aequo): "Red Path" by Lotfi Achour (Tunisia) and "Salma" by Joud Said (Syria)

2024 Documentary Competition Winners:

• Golden Tanit (Feature): "A Fidai Film" by Kamal Aljafari (Palestine)
• Golden Tanit (Short): "Les derniers jours avec Eliane" by Mehdi Hajri (Tunisia)

2024 Short Film Competition Winners:

• Golden Tanit: "Nothing Happen After That" by Ibrahim Omar (Sudan)
• Silver Tanit: "Better Than Earth" by Sherif Elbendary (Egypt)
• Bronze Tanit: "Bord a bord" by Sahar El Euchi (Tunisia)

2024 Artistic Awards:

• Best Actor: Sammy Lechea for "The Vanishing" by Karim Moussaoui (Algeria)
• Best Actress: Sulef Fawakherji for "Salma" by Joud Said (Syria)
• Best Screenplay: Bode Asiyanbi for "Man is Dead" by Awam Ampa (Nigeria)
• Best Music: Hany Adel for "Arze" by Mira Shaib (Lebanon)
• Best Photography: Mostafa El Kashef for "The Village Next to Paradise" by Mo Harawe (Somalia)
• Best Editing: Camille Toubkis for "Aicha" by Mehdi Barsaoui (Tunisia)

The Tahar Cheriaa Prize is awarded for a first work presented in the official selection.

African and Arab Cinema Context

The JCC was founded in 1966 by Tahar Cheriaa, a Tunisian cultural official, during a period of postcolonial cultural institution-building across Africa and the Arab world. The festival was conceived as a platform for Third Cinema and anti-colonial filmmaking, providing a space where African and Arab filmmakers could screen their work to each other and build a shared film culture.

Tunisia's role in Arab cultural politics gives the JCC a specific character. The 2011 revolution that launched the Arab Spring began in Tunisia, and the festival has operated through the country's political transitions. In 2023, the 34th edition was canceled by the Tunisian Ministry of Culture in solidarity with Palestine during the Gaza conflict, a decision that drew mixed reactions from the festival's artistic community.

The JCC is one of three major African film festivals, alongside FESPACO (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) and Zuma Film Festival (Abuja, Nigeria). It is the only one focused specifically on both African and Arab cinema, which gives it a unique position bridging sub-Saharan and North African/Middle Eastern film cultures.

Festival History

The first edition of the JCC was held in 1966. The festival was biennial for most of its history, alternating with the Carthage Theatre Festival. It became an annual event in 2014. The festival has run for 36 editions as of 2025.

Notable past Golden Tanit winners include films from across the Arab and African world. Tunisia has won the Golden Tanit 10 times since 1966, including the 2024 win by Lotfi Achour. Other recent winners include "Les Revoltes (Vuta N'Kuvute)" by Amil Shivji (Tanzania, 2022) and "Feathers" by Omar Zohairy (Egypt, 2021).

The 2024 edition was held under the presidency of Ferid Boughedir, a Tunisian film director and critic. The 2025 edition (36th) was directed by Tarek Ben Chaabane.

What Filmmakers Should Know

The JCC is the most historically significant festival for Arab and African filmmakers. If your film is from an African or Arab country, the JCC is one of the most relevant festivals on the circuit. A Tanit award carries cultural weight that translates into regional recognition and can open doors to distribution in Arab and African markets.

The submission process is free, which is unusual for a festival of this stature. Submissions go through the festival's own portal at inscription.jcctunisie.org, not FilmFreeway. Deadlines are typically in mid-September for a December festival. Films must be completed after January 1 of the festival year to be eligible.

For filmmakers with projects in development or post-production, the Carthage Pro section offers practical support. The Chabaka workshop selects projects in development and provides mentorship, while the Takmil workshop selects films in post-production and provides completion support. Both programs include industry networking opportunities.

The festival does not have an attached film market on the scale of Marche du Film or Durban FilmMart. Industry activity happens through Carthage Pro's workshops and networking events rather than a formal market floor. If your goal is selling a completed film to international distributors, the JCC provides regional exposure but is not a primary acquisition market. Consider pairing a JCC screening with a market attendance at Durban FilmMart or Cairo International Film Festival's industry days.

The festival's official languages are French, Arabic, and English. Films should have French or Arabic subtitles. The festival may provide subtitling support for selected films, but confirm this with the festival team before relying on it.

The JCC does not accept films from non-Arab, non-African countries in its official competition. International films may screen in the International Section, but this is a curated, non-competitive program. If you are a non-African, non-Arab filmmaker, the JCC is not a submission target unless your film has a specific Arab or African co-production element.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For African and Arab cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Submit through the JCC submission portal or visit jcctunisie.org.