Idir Benaibouche

EARLY LIFE

Idir Benaibouche was born on July 21, 1986, in Algeria. He trained formally at the Institut supérieur des métiers des arts du spectacle et de l’audiovisuel de Bordj El Kiffan. He began his artistic career in the early 2010s, starting with the stage monologue Journal d’un fou (Diary of a Madman) by Nikolai Gogol. He then performed in multiple theater productions before transitioning more fully into cinema and television. He is active as both a dramatic actor and a comedian, known for his versatility and skill with accents and imitation in stage work (including one-man shows such as Error).

CAREER

Benaibouche built his career through a combination of theater, short films, television, and feature films, becoming recognized as one of Algeria’s versatile and rising performers. Key film roles include: L’Oranais (2014, directed by Lyes Salem) L’autre c’est moi (2020) as Ali Soula (2021, directed by Salah Issaad / Isaad Salaheddine) as Amine — widely praised performance Bin U Bin, ailleurs la frontière (2024) Front Row (Première ligne, 2024, directed by Merzak Allouache) as Lounès Larimi — for which he won the Best African Actor award at the 2025 Septimius Awards in Amsterdam Ben Mhidi (as Krim Belkacem) Chronicles from the Siege (Chroniques des années de siège directed by Abdallah Al-Khatib) as Saleh — world premiere in the Perspectives section of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, where the film won the GWFF Best First Feature Award He has also appeared in numerous short films, including Désert rose (2023 as the Sergeant), Celui qui brûle (2017), Le Hublot (2012), and others dating back to the late 2000s/early 2010s. Television credits include: Casbah City (2017) as Bikham Dakious & Makious (2018) as Le clandestin Mayna (2024) as Didine Other Algerian series such as Yemma and El Khawa Benaibouche is noted for his range—moving fluidly between drama, comedy, and intense character work—and for taking on challenging roles, including performing in Levantine (Shami) dialect for Chronicles from the Siege.

In 2025 he received significant recognition with the Best African Actor prize at the Septimius Awards for his work in Merzak Allouache’s Front Row. He continues to work across Algerian, Franco-Algerian, and international co-productions while maintaining a presence in theater and comedy.