Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1

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.

• 2025Asia Pacific Screen Awards · Best Youth FilmBest Youth Film — Hasan Hadi and Leah Chen Baker · nominated
• 2025CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival · Crouching Tigers / International competitionInternational Ecumenical Jury Award — The President's Cake
• 2025CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival · Crouching Tigers / International competitionEmeric Pressburger Prize — The President's Cake · nominated
• 2025CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival · Crouching Tigers / International competitionCICAE Jury Award — The President's Cake
• 2025CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival · Crouching Tigers / International competitionFIPRESCI Jury Award for Best International Film — The President's Cake
• 2025Directors' Fortnight · Directors' FortnightAudience Award / Choix du Public — Hasan Hadi
• 2025Festival de Cannes · Directors' Fortnight · world premiereselected
• 2025Festival de Cannes · Caméra d'OrCaméra d'Or — Hasan Hadi
• 2025Hamptons International Film Festival · Narrative competitionBest Narrative Feature — The President's Cake
• 2025Stockholm International Film Festival · Stockholm CompetitionBest Debut — Hasan Hadi
• 2026Academy Awards · Best International Feature FilmBest International Feature Film shortlist — Iraq / The President's Cake · nominated

Set in Iraq under Saddam Hussein, including Baghdad and the Mesopotamian Marshes, 1990–1999 · Mesopotamian Marshes, 1990–1999 · Baghdad, 1990–1999

• Filmed at Iraq — The director states the film was shot entirely in Iraq.
• Mesopotamian Marshes, southern Iraq — Principal real locations; the director says shooting used real locations, especially the Mesopotamian Marshes.
• Baghdad — Reported as one of the places where the film was shot; Baghdad coordinate from Wikidata Q1530.
• Ziggurat of Ur, Dhi Qar Governorate — The director says the checkpoint scene uses the Ziggurat of Ur as the background.
• Restaurant associated with Saddam Hussein's youth — The director says the restaurant scene was shot in the restaurant where Saddam Hussein used to eat when young; no precise name or city found in the checked sources.