All the way from the legendary Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum, passing by the Qasr Al-Nile Bridge (which in theory connects Cairo and Giza), posters of the 46th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) catch the eye. All the streets leading to the Cairo Opera House where the festival opened on Wednesday are busier than usual. Between the Opera House, the Zamalek Cinema, and the American University in Cairo Ewart Hall, the area is a destination of Arab and western tourists, as well as locals enjoying the fresh breeze on the Nile, shopping, and the vibrant and classic vibes of downtown Cairo.
Fresh from nationwide celebrations marking the inauguration of the New Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo is gearing up for another major event, the city’s film festival. CIFF kicks off its 10-day marathon with rich programme that champions the audience’s love of cinema and a spirit of renewal in the industry. One of the Arab world’s most prominent cultural events, and among the oldest film festivals globally, CIFF stands out this year for both the variety of its lineup and the curatorial vision behind it.
Being a festival that prides itself on serving the local community, CIFF will screen 77 MENA premieres, acclaimed titles which have traveled from major international festivals to Cairo. Among them are The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival (and will close CIFF); Kontinental ’25 by Radu Jude, which screened at Berlin; and Once Upon a Time in Gaza by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, which premiered at Cannes. Also featured are Silent Friend by Ildikó Enyedi, The Blue Trail by Gabriel Mascaro, and Woman and Child by Saeed Roustaee. Completing the lineup are Calle Málaga by Maryam Touzani, One More Show by Mai Saad and Ahmed Eldanf, and Case 137 by Dominik Moll. Together, these films, many of which debuted at Venice, Berlin, or Cannes, reflect the Cairo International Film Festival’s growing role as a meeting point for world cinema.
Festival president Hussein Fahmy, one of Egypt’s leading actors, heads the event for the third consecutive year, maintaining focus on both audience growth and cultural continuity.
The new festival artistic director is Mohammed Tarek, who has been taking different roles in the festival since 2016. Having served as a programmer, artistic consultant and deputy artistic director, he got the top job this year.
Around 32 world premieres will be screened in this edition. Three of these reveal a different facet of resilience and emotional truth around the world. One More Show by Mai Saad and Ahmed Eldanf (Egypt–Palestine) follows the Free Gaza Circus troupe as it transforms loss into performance. From Lebanon, Nicolas Khoury’s Souraya, Mon Amour offers an introspective portrait of the human cost of instability, while The Silent Run by Marta Bergman (Belgium–Romania) examines migration and motherhood.
At the heart of CIFF’s official selection, the International Competition gathers twelve remarkable titles from around the world, each reflecting distinct cinematic voices. With nine non-MENA films and five Arab-region films competing, the selection signals CIFF’s aim to both highlight regional voices and engage in global cinematic dialogue. Turkish master Nuri Bilge Ceylan, winner of Cannes’ Palme d’Or for Winter Sleep (2014), presides over the jury that will award the prestigious Golden Pyramid. Among the competing titles are Calle Málaga by Maryam Touzani, Morocco’s Venice Spotlight entry; and Exile by Mehdi Hmili, a Tunisian drama of vengeance and belonging that bowed in Locarno. The competition also features Dragonfly by Paul Andrew Williams.
This year, for the chief programmer, Arab cinema holds a special place, with a record number of outstanding Arab productions, some premiering for the first time, others already acclaimed on the international cinematic stage. Dedicated to the vitality of contemporary Arab storytelling, the Horizons of Arab Cinema competition amplifies new voices from across the region. This year’s lineup embraces bold experimentation and sharp social insight.
The selection features Anti-Cinema by Saudi filmmaker Ali Saeed, a playful reflection on the act of filmmaking itself; Azza by Stefanie Brockhaus, a Tunisian documentary exploring female empowerment; and Complaint No. 713317 by Yasser Shafiey, anticipated to be a biting Egyptian satire on bureaucracy and social justice. Other notable titles include Dead Dog by Sarah Francis, Flana by Zahraa Ghandour, and Goundafa, The Cursed Song by Ali Benjelloun, which delves into the haunting relationship between art and memory. Completing the lineup are Looking for Ayda by Sarra Abidi, Pasha’s Girls by Mohamed El-Adl, and Round 13 by Mohamed Ali Nahdi. The Arab presence signals the festival’s interest in the rise of a new Arab wave where bold young voices meet seasoned filmmakers to explore social and human questions with a contemporary vision and artistic sensitivity.
This year, the Cairo Industry Days, headed by Mohamed Sayyed Abdel Rahim, expanded from eight exhibitors in 2023 to 29 this year, welcoming participation from Iraq, Turkey, India, and China. The Cairo Film Connection features 15 projects from 10 countries, with four Egyptian and three Lebanese projects among them. In addition, workshops for 200 emerging talents cover screenwriting, editing, acting, genre filmmaking, and XR production; all these initiatives reflect CIFF’s ambition to bridge Arab creators with international industry networks.
The much anticipated (and already sold out) Cairo Pro-Meet is a networking program for the transfer of expertise and cooperation between individuals and entities. The festival aims to bring experts and representatives from different film professions to mingle and network with emerging and promising talent.
This year CIFF honors lineup mixes between local and international, including Lifetime Achievement Awards to Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass, Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi, Egyptian actor Mohamed Abdel Aziz, and Egyptian cinematographer Mahmoud Abdel Samie. Meanwhile, the Faten Hamama Excellence Award will be bestowed on actor Khaled El-Nabawy, a figure in Egyptian cinema whose talent allowed him to go international.
Another anticipated programme is the New Media section which the festival says aims to bridge cinema, technology, and immersive storytelling, offering audiences experimental and interactive works that push the boundaries of visual experience. Projects such as “In the Blink of Light” by Doaa Darwish and “Augmented Walls – Walls of Khalifa” by Agnes Michalczyk transform heritage into participatory experiences.
This year, 22 restored Egyptian classics will be screened by the Cairo Classics programme, following strong youth attendance last year. The programme celebrates Egypt’s rich cinematic heritage through a curated selection of masterpieces newly restored for the big screen. Films such as Cairo 30 and The Second Wife by Salah Abu Seif, The Sin by Henry Barakat, Something of Fear and The Impossible by Hussein Kamal, Palace Walk and Palace of Desire by Hassan al-Imam, and The People and the Nile by Youssef Chahine, are now available for the film goers in HD, after years of being lost in archives in low-quality online versions.
For the last seven years, the festival has been trying to heighten its relevance and reach for Egyptian, Arab, and international audiences, against the background of fierce yet friendly competition from regional festivals like El Gouna, Red Sea, Amman, Marrakech, Carthage and Doha. While depending on state support (around 50% funding comes from the country’s Ministry of Culture) and all local Egyptian sponsors, CIFF bets on its local spirit and predominately youthful audiences.
