Arab cinema at Cannes has a long history, and this 76th edition will see the participation of seven directors of Arab origin. "The Chronicle of the Years of Embers" by Algerian director Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, was the first Arab film to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1975.
This year's festival management seems to have redirected its attention to new and different regions, as indicated by the speech of the festival's artistic director Thierry Frémaux at the press conference announcing the official selection.