Algiers – On Thursday, September 11, 2025, the Minister of Culture and Arts, Zouhir Ballou, presided over a ceremony at the Moufdi Zakaria Cultural Palace in Algiers to honor young Algerian winners who participated in various competitions (literature, cinema, and culinary arts) held as part of the “Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Weekend 2025.” These events were organized within the framework of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025), hosted in Algeria from September 4 to 10, 2025, according to a report by aps.dz.
The competitions, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Arts in collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to promote cultural and economic creativity across the continent, resulted in several notable achievements:
- Cinema Competition: Algerian director Chouki Boukaf won the Grand Prize for the Best African Animation Film for his work Olivia in the African Youth Cinema Competition, which included documentaries, short fiction films, and animations.
- Literature Competition: Writer Hind Souir received seventh place and a special mention from the jury for her work in the “African Publishing Factory” competition dedicated to publishing in Africa.
- African Youth Culinary Competition (ages 16-22):
- Fatima Zahra Ben Djelida secured first place.
- Loubna Ali Cherif took second place.
- Aoues Akkouche claimed third place.
These winners excelled in presenting traditional Algerian dishes with a modern twist.
Additionally, the Public Printing Arts Corporation (ENAG), represented by its Director General Hicham Aissani, was honored for signing a cooperation protocol with the Tunisian company “Maghreb Stone Paper.”
The designer of the Ministry of Culture and Arts pavilion, Cheibane Abdelghani, and the National Office for Culture and Information, represented by Khadidja Dahmane, were also recognized for the ministry’s pavilion winning the award for the Best Pavilion at CANEX 2025.
On this occasion, Minister Ballou highlighted that the fourth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 in Algeria “achieved resounding success and recorded unprecedented figures that will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening the continent’s economic integration.” He added that the CANEX 2025 African Creative Days constituted “a distinguished cultural and artistic celebration and a platform for convergence, acquaintance, and creative interaction among Africa’s young talents and creators in various fields.”
The minister further noted that “honoring the winners of these competitions is not only a recognition of excellence and creativity but also a tribute to the spirit of challenge and initiative. Through them, we honor the African continent with all its cultural, civilizational, and human richness.” He emphasized that this recognition is “a call to continue this journey, an encouragement for more creativity and innovation, and a message of hope that culture will always remain a force for construction, a source of unity and convergence, and a vast space for dialogue and diversity.”
