The 46th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) announced the winners of the 2025 Next Generation Awards, presented in collaboration with The Film Verdict during Cairo Industry Days (CID). The awards were handed out ahead of the CID closing ceremony, in an event dedicated to celebrating the region’s rising talent and honouring established professionals who continue to inspire younger generations.
Festival President Hussein Fahmy opened the proceedings by stressing the festival’s commitment to nurturing new voices, noting that “support, visibility, and resources are essential to sustaining the future of Arab cinema.”
CID Director Mohamed Sayed Abdel Rahim echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of championing talents who have grown up in the festival’s ecosystem: actors, directors, and critics whose careers have been shaped by their ongoing presence at CIFF.
Representing The Film Verdict, writer Adham Youssef underscored the significance of celebrating talent at a time when filmmaking conditions across the region continue to shift rapidly. The Next Generation Awards honour exceptional contributions from filmmakers, actors, and critics who shape and document the evolving cinematic landscape of the Arab world, he said.
This year’s Next Generation Awards were presented to three emerging artists and one distinguished film professional whose careers reflect the dynamism and diversity of contemporary Arab cinema, Sayed Abdel Rahim announced.
Pres. Fahmy added that initiatives like the Next Generation Awards, the Cairo Pro-Meet programme, and Cairo Pro-Meet are essential to the mindset of the festival to enable the new generation of filmmakers and critics.
Egyptian actress Nahed El Sebai was recognised for her remarkable screen presence and her commitment to portraying emotionally complex characters. She first gained major recognition in Basra (2008), followed by standout performances in 678 (2010) and Yousry Nasrallah’s After the Battle (2012), which screened in competition at Cannes.
Nasrallah was present to congratulate El Sebai, asserting her ability to shift seamlessly between realism, humour, and psychological nuance in her work.
Her latest film, Pasha’s Girls, premiered this year in CIFF’s Horizons of Arab Cinema competition and is set for commercial release soon.
Egyptian critic Ahmed Ezzat Amer was honoured for his wide-ranging contributions to Arab film criticism. His work appears on mutiple platforms and he has served on selection committees for major festivals. He is a member of the Egyptian Film Critics Association, and the author of books about Yousry Nasrallah and Ildiko Enyedi. This year, CIFF paid tribute to Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi, screening several of her films—making Amer’s honour especially resonant.
Lebanese actress and multidisciplinary artist Chirine Karameh received the award following her acclaimed performance in Dead Dog, directed by Sarah Francis. The film premiered earlier this year at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and competed in CIFF’s Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition. Karameh began her artistic journey in theatre and in dance, developing a fluid, multidisciplinary approach to character-building.
The award for directing went jointly to Egyptian filmmakers Mai Saad and Gazan cinematographer and director Ahmed Al Danaf, co-directors of the feature documentary One More Show. The film is competing in CIFF’s Main Competition, marking a significant achievement for both filmmakers.
Saad began her career as an assistant director before moving into producing, working on both documentary and narrative projects. One More Show is her feature-length documentary directorial debut.
Al Danaf, currently based in Gaza, shot the film amid the immense challenges of working in the besieged territory. Due to current conditions, he participated in the awards event via video chat, sending a message highlighting the importance of filmmaking as an act of cultural survival. His short film School Day, part of the From Ground Zero project organised by Rashid Masharawi, won the Youssef Chahine Award at CIFF 2024 and continues to screen internationally.
Last year’s honorees included Egyptian director Hani Khalifa, Saudi film critic and journalist Ahmed Al-Ayyad, Egyptian director and screenwriter Noha Adel, and Jordanian actress Rakeen Saad. By recognizing talents from Egypt, Lebanon, and Palestine, The Film Verdict and CIFF reaffirm their shared commitment to strengthening artistic voices from the Middle East and North Africa. At a moment when the regional film landscape faces both unprecedented challenges and new creative possibilities, the Next Generation Awards stand as a reminder that the future of Arab cinema lies in the hands of those who continue to reinvent it on screens, on sets, and in the pages of criticism.
