Once Upon a Time in Gaza Wins Top Arab Film Prize

A Gaza-born filmmaking duo took a major Cannes-side prize with a film that turns to the Western to tell a story rooted in Gaza.

Tarzan and Arab Nasser won best film at the 10th Critics Awards for Arab Films for Once Upon a Time in Gaza, according to reports from the event held on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival. The film, described as the brothers’ riff on the Western genre, premiered last year in Un Certain Regard and now adds a high-profile critics honor to its festival run.

A film born from Gaza and shaped through a Western lens has now landed one of Arab cinema’s notable critics prizes in Cannes.

The award matters because it signals critical support for a film that does not follow the safest route. Rather than lean on familiar prestige-drama formulas, the Nasser brothers appear to push genre into politically and culturally charged terrain. That choice gives the film a sharper profile in a crowded global festival landscape, where attention often goes to projects that can translate local stories into a distinct cinematic language.

The win also keeps the spotlight on Arab filmmakers using international festival platforms to expand the reach of regional cinema. Cannes remains one of the industry’s loudest stages, and recognition there can shape distribution interest, future programming, and the broader conversation around which films break through beyond the festival circuit. For the Nasser brothers, this award strengthens the film’s standing at a moment when critical recognition can carry real momentum.

What comes next will determine whether this Cannes boost turns into a longer run for the film. Festival attention does not guarantee wide visibility, but awards like this can help a title travel, find new audiences, and deepen its cultural impact. For Arab cinema, and for filmmakers from Gaza in particular, that path matters far beyond a single trophy.