The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 1976, the festival is the only international competitive feature film festival recognized by the FIAPF in Africa and the Arab world as well as the oldest in this category. The festival regularly draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. Cairo is held annually at the Cairo Opera House and under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.
About 150 films are shown at multiple venues across Cairo, mostly in and around Downtown Cairo. They are screened in nine sections across cinematic genres, with around twenty films competing for the festival's top awards in the Competition section. The major awards, called the Golden Pyramid and Silver Pyramid, are decided on by the international jury, chaired by an internationally recognisable cinema personality. This jury and other specialized CIFF juries also give many other awards, and in addition there are other awards given by independent juries and organizations.
History The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is one of only 15 Festivals accorded as a category "A" status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations FIAPF. It is the oldest internationally accredited cultural feature film festival in the Arab World, Africa and the Middle East.
The history of CIFF goes back to 1975, after a visit to the Berlin Film Festival the late writer-critic Kamal El Mallakh and a group of like-minded cinema critics wondered why such a world-class festival could not take place in Egypt. The country was still in Egyptian cinema's "Golden Age" and contained a formidable film industry, still the biggest in the Arab world. The Cairo International Film Festival was launched in 1976. The 1976 festival featured around 100 films from 33 countries, with 14 films from 14 different countries in competition.
The Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics headed the festival for the first seven years until 1983. In the following year, the Union of Artist's Syndicates supervised the festival, and after that point, several associations mustered their resources to run the festival. The Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics joined with the Ministry of Culture and the Union of Artist's Syndicates to form a joint committee in 1985 to improve the quality and financial state of the festival.
In 2023, The Cairo International Film Festival’s 45th edition was canceled due to the Gaza war.
Awards The highest award given at CIFF is the Golden Pyramid Award awarded for Best Picture.
Silver Pyramid and Bronze Pyramid Awards go to the Best Director and Best New Director respectively.
The Best Screenplay award is named after the Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz.
The festival also offers career achievement awards named after Egyptian actress Faten Hamama.
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Awards are announced at the closing ceremony of the festival.
The festival offers awards in specialized categories as well:
The Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition, presented by the Egyptian Filmmakers Syndicate (EFMS), offers the Saad Eldin Wahba Award for Best Arabic Film and the Salah Abu Seif Award for Best Arab Artistic Contribution. The International Critics Week Competition for Feature and Documentary Films, presented by the Egyptian Film Critics Association (EFCA), offers the Shadi Abdel Salam Award for Best Film, awarded to the Director, and the Fathy Farag Award for Best Artistic Contribution, both awards. Cinema of Tomorrow, International Competition (CTIC) for Short Films offers the Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film, and The Special Jury Award. The Special Jury Award.
CIFF cash awards Youssef Cherif Rizkallah Award (Audience Award): 20,000$ (shared between the producer of the film and the Egyptian company distributing the film in Egypt). The Award will be granted to one of films selected in the International Competition Best Arab Film Award: 15,000$ presented to the producer of the film. The Award will be granted by a special jury to the best Arab film selected in either the International Competition.
The International Federation of Film Critics The FIPRESCI Award is decided by a jury composed of a president and two members, and is awarded to a film in the international competition. The Award is announced during the CIFF closing ceremony.
Cairo Film Connection The Cairo Film Connection is the latest co-production platform aiming at maximizing networking to induce coproductions for films originating from the Arab world. The first year, around 10 projects will be selected by a team of experts. Directors and producers will be invited to the Cairo Film Connection to pitch their projects over a period of 3 days to key industry professionals whether international or from the region. Circulation of the selected project in Arabic and English as well as, individualized meetings scheduled in advance should maximize exposure of the projects and optimize all the participants' experiences. Guests will be carefully selected to cover all stages of development of film production, funding, distribution, marketing, broadcasting, sales, festivals. In addition to the exposure offered to filmmakers during the Cairo Film Connection, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture is offering a special award amounting to $10,000.
Other festival sections
Festival of Festivals – Screening the most important, reviewed and awarded feature and documentary films that participated in other renowned prominent international film festivals as Cannes, Berlinale, Venice and others. International Panorama – Screening different variety of international movies from all over the World. New Egyptian Cinema – Screening new Egyptian Movies produced and premiered in 2016/17. Feature Film Classics – Screening tens of international film Classics. Film Tributes – Giving tribute and honoring international and local film icons. Masterclass – highly acclimated guests present a cinematic masterclass, such as Gasper Noe in 2024, Bela Tarr in 2022, Terry Gillam in 2019 and others. Guest of Honor Film Week, from World Cinema – Screening films of a guest country, chosen annually in honoring World Cinema.
Notable awards and honorees
Major award winners YearBest filmBest DirectorBest ActorBest Actress199115thThe Object of BeautyMichael Lindsay-Hoggfor The Object of BeautyJoaquim de Almeidafor Family PortraitChristiane Heinrichfor Suspicion199216thThose Left BehindMichael Aptedfor ThunderheartOle Lemmekefor The Naked TreesXiu Jingshuangfor Those Left Behind199317thCurfewNabil Malehfor The ExtrasAndrzej Sewerynfor AmokMarina Neyolovafor You Are My Only One199418thColonel ChabertYves Angelofor Colonel ChabertNour El-Sheriffor A Hot NightLaila Elwifor More Love, Less Violence199519thThe Flor Contemplacion StorySergei Masloboischikovfor Josephine, the Singer and the Mice PeopleStephen Reafor Citizen XNora Aunorfor The Flor Contemplacion Story199620thA Girl Called ApplePantelis Voulgarisfor AkropolAbu Bakr Ezzatfor The Woman and the HatchetJulia Jägerfor Outside Time199721stThe Chambermaid on the TitanicBigas Lunafor The Chambermaid on the TitanicDavor Janjićfor OutsiderReem Al-Turkifor Ceremonial Wedding Dress199822ndMalliSantosh Sivanfor MalliPaschalis Tsarouhasfor VasilikiMei Tingfor A Time to Remember199923rdA Major Inconvenience Martin Šulíkfor Prague Stories (Segment: "Pictures from the Visit")Mahmoud Abdel Azizfor Pleasure MarketPegah Ahangaranifor The Girl in the Sneakers200024thSighRoch Stéphanikfor Stand-byZhang Guolifor SighXu Fanfor SighDominique Blancfor Stand-by200125th Pauline and PauletteSinișa Draginfor Everyday God Kisses Us on the MouthPaul Freemanfor MorlangNiki Karimifor The Hidden Half200226thThe Last BluesMrinal Senfor My LandAhmed Zakifor His Excellency the MinisterNandita Dasfor My LandKatayoun Riahifor The Last Supper200327thThe KingLiang Shanfor The FatherSong Guofengfor The FatherSandrine Kiberlain &Sylvie Testudfor Sole Sisters200428thGuardians of the CloudsHéctor Oliverafor Ay JuancitoAdrián Navarrofor Ay JuancitoSofocles Peppasfor DustEszter Bagamérifor Guarded SecretsNelly Karimfor My Soul Mate200529thMother of MineKlaus Häröfor Mother of MineBujar Lakofor Magic EyeMaria Lundqvistfor Mother of Mine200630thThe Road Khosro Masumifor Somewhere Too FarNicolás Mateofor Speed Begets OblivionZhang Jingchufor The Road200731stIntimate EnemiesFlorent Emilio Sirifor Intimate EnemiesAlbert Dupontelfor Intimate EnemiesMarina Magrofor OperaTatyana Lyutaevafor Full Scope200832ndReturn to HansalaPernille Fischer Christensenfor DancersJuan Diego Bottofor El GrecoYolande Moreaufor Séraphine200933rdLetters to Father JacobMona Achachefor The HedgehogFathy Abdel Wahabfor The Nile BirdsSubrat Duttafor Madholal Keep WalkingKarolina Piechotafor Splinters201034thLustSvetoslav Ovtcharovfor Voice OverAmr Waked &Alessandro Gassmanfor The Father and the ForeignerIsabelle Huppertfor CopacabanaSawsan Badrfor Lust201235thRendez-vous in KirunaMarian Dziędzielfor The Fifth season of the YearVanessa Di Quattrofor Breach in the Silence201436thMelbourneKhaled Abol Nagafor Eyes of a ThiefAdèle Haenelfor Love at First Fight201537thMediterraneaDagur Karifor Virgin MountainKoudous Seihonfor MediterraneaLouise Bourgoinfor I Am a Soldier201638thMimosasLicínio Azevedofor The Train of Salt and Sugar Shakib Ben Omarfor MimosasNahed El Sebaifor A Day for Women201739thThe IntruderLaura Morafor Killing JesusRaouf Ben Amorfor Tunis By NightDiamand Bou Abboudfor Insyriated201840thA Twelve-Year NightPhuttiphong Aroonphengfor Manta RaySergei Loznitsafor DonbassSherif Desokyfor Night/ExtZsófia Szamosifor One Day201941stI Am No Longer HereBas Devosfor Ghost TropicJuan Daniel Garcia Trevinofor I Am No Longer Here Judy Ann Santosfor Mindanao 202042nd Limbo Ivan I. Tverdovskyfor Conference Yulian Vergovfor German Lessons Elham Shahinfor CurfewNatalya Pavlenkovafor Conference 202143rd The Hole in the Fence Laura Samanifor Small Body Mohamed Mamdouhfor Abu Saddam Swamy Rotolofor A Chiara 202244th Alam Emmanuelle Nicotfor Love According to Dalva Maher Elkheir for The DamMahmoud Bakri for Alam Zelda Samsonfor Love According to Dalva 202445thThe New Year That Never CameNatalia Nazarovafor Postmarks Lee Kang-sheng for Blue Sun Palace Maxim Stoyanov for Postmarks Yara de Novaesfor Malu
Major honorees Actors
Marcello Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, John Malkovich, Elizabeth Taylor, Morgan Freeman, Sivaji Ganesan, Samuel L. Jackson, Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Leslie Caron, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Ornella Muti, Victoria Abril, Shashi Kapoor, Alain Delon, Nicolas Cage, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Greta Scacchi, Julia Ormond, Mira Sorvino, Khalid Abdalla, Alicia Silverstone, Priscilla Presley, Stuart Townsend, Yolande Moreau, Christopher Lee, Irene Papas, Nora Aunor, Bud Spencer, Tom Berenger, Salma Hayek, Lucy Liu, Juliette Binoche, Dominique Blanc, Charlize Theron, Hilary Swank and Adrien Brody.
Directors Robert Wise, Elia Kazan, Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Stone, Roland Joffe, Carlos Saura, Ismail Merchant, Moustapha Akkad, Gadalla Gubara and Michelangelo Antonioni.
Miscellaneous awards