Ahmed Bedjaoui

• Name — Ahmed Bedjaoui • Born — 1943 • Birthplace — Algeria • Occupation — Film director, producer, critic, academic • Notable Works — Le Grand Détour, Histoires de la révolution • Television — Télé Ciné Club

Ahmed Bedjaoui studied cinema at the IDHEC (Institut des hautes études cinématographiques) in Paris and earned a PhD in American Civilization and Literature. A university professor, he taught audiovisual journalism and film studies at the University of Algiers 3. Still active in Algeria's cultural scene, he was one of the pioneering founders of the Algerian Cinémathèque, a film critic for several newspapers and magazines (both Algerian and international), founder and president of the International Biennale of Film and Archaeology of Tipasa, and artistic director of the Algiers International Festival. He also served as director and programmer for various international events. Bedjaoui is a member of the executive board of the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (CICT) under UNESCO, and holds positions in several Algerian film institutions. In 2015, he was awarded the Fellini Medal for his contribution to the defense and promotion of cinema worldwide.

Ahmed Bedjaoui hosted for several decades the television program Télé Ciné Club, which became a cornerstone of cinematic education and discovery for generations of Algerian viewers. He directed short and medium-length films in the late 1960s and produced or co-produced major works of Algerian cinema. Among the dozens of films he produced are Nahla by Farouk Beloufa, the two feature films by Assia Djebar, Bouamama by Benamar Bakhti, and Kahla Oua Beida by Abderrahmane Bouguermouh. He also published several books on Algerian cinema, particularly on representations of the War of Independence.

• 1968: Le Grand Détour • 1969: Histoires de la révolution — collective film (multiple directors including Ahmed Bedjaoui) • 1974: Le Doigt dans l'engrenage

• Télé Ciné Club (1969–1989) — host / critic (landmark television show about cinema)