Mehdi Hmili is known for his bold, character-driven storytelling. He began his career in France with a black-and-white trilogy — X-MOMENT, LI-LA, and THE NIGHT OF BADR — exploring themes of love, displacement, and exile. He gained wider international recognition with STREAMS, which premiered at the 74th Locarno Film Festival and went on to win multiple awards, including Best Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival and Best Director at the Malmö Arab Film Festival. The film was released theatrically across several territories before securing distribution on major platforms, including Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Canal+.
EXILE: Hmili’s latest noir drama feature, following the survivor of a factory blast seeking justice for the death of his friend, world premiered at the 78th Locarno International Film Festival after getting a nod at La Fabrique Cinéma of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival and receiving several development awards, including the CineGouna Screenplay Prize at the El Gouna Film Festival.
