Dr. Soraya Mouloudji
Minister of Culture and Arts

We meet once again at an important cinematic event, with the return of the Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival. The historical city of Annaba has reclaimed one of its most significant cultural events. This is heartening for us, given that global events and circumstances have led to the suspension and postponement of many cultural activities and events. Here, we warmly welcome all of you, our guests from the world of art, cinema, and those passionate about the seventh art.
For us, cinema is not merely a medium for presenting stories, dreams, and visions. It is an inheritance. Just as images played a role in our great liberation revolution, Algerian cinema emerged from the womb of resistance, struggle, and commitment. It has often championed the cause of human freedom and defended legitimate rights. From this perspective, I would like to point out that today’s global disruptions and differences could be themes addressed in cinema. Films can affirm that humans are compelled to accept the other, just as they are compelled to protect their own privacy. Through genuine cinematic craftsmanship, we can always express our uniqueness, present our ideas, and respect others simultaneously.

Cinema is also an aesthetic artistic choice. That’s why the Ministry of Culture and Arts has implemented a comprehensive training strategy through courses in screenplay and dramatic writing, and established a specialization in dramatic writing in its institutes. We are in the process of opening the Higher Institute of Cinema, with procedures currently underway. Algeria has drawn many values from its revolution and the commitment of its ancestors. It’s not surprising that Algerian struggle was intertwined with art and aesthetics, having its literature from poetry and narrative, its visual arts from drawings and sculpture, and its films. Through this, our understanding of art and respect for its message has been formed.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune attaches great importance to the film industry, prompting us to accelerate work on multiple fronts to achieve comprehensive reforms in legislation and institutions related to cinema. Today, Algeria possesses a significant cinematic system, paving the way for a promising new era, thanks to the support and understanding of the country’s leadership regarding future challenges.

Returning to the Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival, it represents an important challenge linked to location, geography, and the extensions of Algerian cinema. It symbolizes the integration between the two Mediterranean shores where hundreds of diverse films are produced with artistic directions and intellectual approaches. It’s always beneficial for Mediterranean films to engage in dialogue in Algeria, a country that has always celebrated this important element in its history.

The Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival will be an opportunity for dialogue about cinema between stakeholders from both Mediterranean shores and the world. Its return will be a chance for the city and the country to celebrate cinema and its people once again. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture and Arts fully supports the festival, seeing it as a meeting point for professionals and creators, a platform for generating ideas about cinema in Algeria and the world.

Annaba welcomes you,
Algeria celebrates you,
And cinema will remain a space for creativity, love, and dialogue.