The President's Cake

Cannes 2025
Directors’
Fortnight
Cannes 2025
People's Choice Award
Cannes 2025
Best First
Feature
TIFF 2025
Official Selection
Oscars 2026
Iraqi Entry
Busan 2025
Official Selection

The President's Cake

A Film by Hasan Hadi

2025 - Iraq/USA/Qatar - Drama - 105 min.

with Baneen Ahmed Nayyef , Sajad Mohamad Qasem & Waheed Thabet Khreibat

Oscars 2026: Official Iraqi Submission

Language: Arabic

While people across 1990s Iraq struggle to survive the war and food shortages, Saddam Hussein requires each school in the country to prepare a cake to celebrate his birthday. Despite her efforts to avoid getting picked, 9-year-old Lamia is chosen among her classmates. The young girl must now use her wits and imagination to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake or face the consequences.

In Collections:
Cannes 2025
Directors’
Fortnight
Cannes 2025
People's Choice Award
Cannes 2025
Best First
Feature
TIFF 2025
Official Selection
Oscars 2026
Iraqi Entry
Busan 2025
Official Selection

More Films

Season of the Devil

A film by Lav Diaz

2018 - Philippines - Drama - 1.50 - 234 min.

In the late 70s, a gang of militias under the control of the military, terrorizes a remote village in the Philippines. The poet/teacher/activist, Hugo Haniway, decides to find out the truth about the disappearance of his wife. A love story set in the darkest period of Philippine history, the Marcos Dictatorship.
Based on real events and real characters.

Luka

A film by Jessica Woodworth

2023 - Belgium/Italy/Netherlands/Bulgaria/Armenia - Sci-Fi - 1.85:1 - 94 min.

Luka, a young and ambitious soldier, embeds himself in the legendary Fort Kairos where heroic warriors defend the remains of civilization. His hopes to serve as an elite sniper are crushed when he is assigned to maintenance and must submit to the code of Kairos: obedience-endurance-sacrifice. As he rises through the ranks, Luka finds joy and strength in friendships with Konstantin, an enigmatic radar engineer, and Geronimo, a light-hearted private.

Four Suns

A film by Bohdan Sláma

2012 - Czech Republic - Comedy/Drama - DCP - 2.35 - 102 min.

Jára has lost his job, his family is falling apart and his only companion and friend is Karel, a
lonely weirdo who feels very closely bound to nature. Unemployed and immature, he tries to
keep his family together, to make his wife stay with him, to protect his teenage son from drug
abuse, and to protect Karel from himself - but who will protect Jára?