Cinema Meets the Tunisian Desert as Kebili Hosts International Film Festival from November 12 to 15

Film screenings on the sand, a traditional arts carnival and a handicrafts exhibition highlight the third edition, bringing together cinema, music and heritage in El Jadida and El Mansoura in southern Tunisia.

The El Jadida–El Mansoura area in the governorate of Kebili, southern Tunisia, is preparing to host the third edition of the International Cinema in the Desert Festival from November 12 to 15, 2026.

The event combines film screenings, cultural activities and tourism experiences against the backdrop of Tunisia's desert landscapes.

Organised by the Sahara Art Association with the support of the National Centre for Cinema and Image (CNCI), the festival aims to take cinema beyond traditional theatres into open-air settings while showcasing the cultural and natural attractions of southern Tunisia.

The main activities will take place at the open-air theatre in El Jadida–El Mansoura, bringing together filmmakers and artists from Tunisia, other Arab countries and international destinations.

The festival begins on Thursday, November 12, with a cinematic carnival featuring the Five Stars Folk Arts Troupe from Douz, alongside the opening of a Maghreb exhibition dedicated to women's traditional handicrafts and two filmmaking camps for young participants.

The official opening ceremony will feature a sand-art performance by artist Habib El Gharabi and a traditional drum dance performance by artist Imed Ammara, presented by the National Folk Arts Troupe.

The activities bring together visual arts, music and local heritage, offering visitors an opportunity to discover different aspects of Tunisia's desert culture.

Eight short films from Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Congo, France, Iran and India will compete in the festival's official competition. The jury includes filmmakers and industry professionals Ibrahim Letaief, Olfa Chakroun and Atef Ben Hassine.

The programme also features additional film screenings and training workshops covering directing, documentary filmmaking, photography, film education and other cinematic disciplines.

Discussions will explore the relationship between cinema and place, as well as the growing influence of artificial intelligence on filmmaking.

Special screenings for children and cultural and artistic activities involving local institutions are also scheduled.

Projection Mapping Illuminates Historic Landmarks The third edition will feature projection-mapping displays on historic landmarks in Kebili, alongside evening music and youth-oriented entertainment events, including Electro Sahara and the Samour evening programme.

The schedule also includes a guided excursion to the Debbacha area on November 15.

The festival will conclude with an awards and recognition ceremony, followed by a musical performance by Tunisian artist Raouf Maher.

The first two editions of the festival were held in Ksar Ghilane in 2024 and 2025, before the event moved to El Jadida and El Mansoura for its third edition. The relocation reflects the organisers' ambition to establish the festival as a travelling cultural event across Tunisia's desert regions.

This approach aims to broaden participation and introduce visitors to destinations beyond the country's traditional tourism centres.

The festival offers visitors an opportunity to combine cinema with traditional performing arts, local handicrafts and desert landscapes in a single cultural experience. Moving the event between different desert locations also creates opportunities to showcase destinations that receive less attention in conventional tourism itineraries.

However, the festival's economic impact on hotels, restaurants and local service providers has not been supported by published figures. Visitors are also advised to confirm admission requirements, event locations and transportation arrangements before travelling.

The festival's immediate tourism value lies in offering a cultural experience closely connected to its surroundings, transforming the desert into a setting for artistic expression and discovery rather than simply a natural landscape to admire.