"The President's Cake" is a drama written and directed by Hasan Hadi in his directorial debut. Set in 1990s Iraq, the film follows 9-year-old Lamia who must bake President Saddam Hussein's birthday cake. She scrambles to find ingredients for this compulsory task while facing potential punishment if she fails. The cast includes Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat and Rahim AlHaj.
The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Director's Fortnight section, where it won the Audience Award and the Caméra d'Or. It also made the December shortlist for the Best International Feature Film Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards, but failed to secure a nomination. It was also nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film at the 2026 Directors Guild of America Awards.
"The President's Cake" was released in select theaters on February 6, 2026 in the US, and on April 7th it was released on digital platforms.
Find out more about the movie after the jump.