Algeria Selects Roqia for International Feature Oscar

Algeria has selected Yanis Koussim’s feature debut, Roqia, as its entry for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. The 89-minute film, a co-production involving Algeria, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, follows a man who returns to his village after an accident leaves him with amnesia, only to be haunted by unexplained nighttime visitors. Narrated across two timelines, the story blends questions of faith, memory, and psychological uncertainty rooted in Algerian culture. Roqia premiered internationally at Venice’s Critics’ Week in 2025 and went on to win the Grand Prix for Best Feature at the Algiers International Film Festival, the Best Director award in Thessaloniki, and the Jury Award in Leeds. Its selection adds Algeria to a growing list of African nations submitting films for the Oscars, joining Morocco, Chad, Cameroon, Egypt, and Kenya.