Palestinian Filmmakers Win Directing Award at Cannes 2025

Arab and Tarzan Nasser honored for “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” in Un Certain Regard section

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Palestinian Filmmakers Win Directing Award at Cannes 2025

Palestinian twin directors Arab and Tarzan Nasser made global headlines Friday after winning the Best Director award in Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section for their powerful feature Once Upon a Time in Gaza.

The gripping film, set during the year Hamas took control of Gaza, follows the journey of a low-level drug dealer and his sidekick navigating survival in the blockaded coastal territory. Blending raw realism with cinematic storytelling, the film earned the brothers a standing ovation during the ceremony.

“To everyone in Gaza, to every single Palestinian: your lives matter and your voice matters, and soon Palestine will be free,” said Tarzan Nasser in an emotional acceptance speech that resonated far beyond the red carpet.

The Un Certain Regard section—Cannes’ spotlight on bold, auteur-driven works—was stacked with major talent this year, including directorial debuts from Hollywood A-listers Scarlett Johansson, Harris Dickinson, and Kristen Stewart.

The top prize in the category went to Chilean filmmaker Diego Cespedes for The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, while Simon Mesa Soto’s satirical A Poet, exploring the absurdities of the art world, nabbed the Jury Prize.

Performance awards were shared between Frank Dillane, from Dickinson’s gritty homeless drama Urchin, and Cleo Diara, who stars in Pedro Pinho’s I Only Rest in the Storm, a film tackling neo-colonial legacies.

Meanwhile, the Best Screenplay award was claimed by British director Harry Lighton for his queer romance Pillion, starring Alexander Skarsgård.

From Gaza to the glitter of Cannes, the Nassers’ win marks a moment of cultural pride for Palestinians and a powerful reminder that stories from the margins are demanding—and receiving—the spotlight.

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Palestinian Filmmakers Win Directing Award at Cannes 2025

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