The 46th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) concluded on Friday, November 21, with a grand closing ceremony at the Cairo Opera House, attended by leading figures from the Arab and international film industry, as well as prominent cultural and media personalities.
The ceremony was graced by Egypt’s Minister of Culture, Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hano, veteran actor and festival president Hussein Fahmy, artistic director Mohamed Tarek, alongside Egyptian and Arab cinema stars including Nelly, Khaled El Nabawy, Mahmoud Hemeida, Laila Elwi, Elham Shahin, Khaled El Sawy, Ashraf Zaki, Khaled Selim, Mohamed Riad, Hena Shehita, Dalia Mostafa, and Likaa El Khamissi, among other directors, producers, and foreign guests.
A Heartfelt Tribute
The closing ceremony opened with the Egyptian national anthem, followed by a deeply moving tribute to six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was tragically killed in Gaza. A recording of her last call to emergency services was projected on screen, eliciting a moment of solemn reflection and solidarity with civilians affected by the conflict.
Hussein Fahmy addressed the audience, noting that what they witnessed “may seem cinematic, but it is a harsh reality.” He emphasized the resilience of Hind, who survived three hours of fear and distress after witnessing the death of her family, and highlighted the role of cinema in keeping such stories alive. The festival’s closing film, The Voice of Hind Rajab, sought to document this painful truth without embellishment.
Recognition and Arab Collaboration
Fahmy praised the festival team across all departments, from technical crews to the teams behind the opening and closing ceremonies, including composer Chasho. He also congratulated Qatar on launching the Doha Film Festival, announcing a new collaboration agreement between CIFF and Qatar’s Film Commission, aimed at strengthening Arab cinematic cooperation.
Honors and Awards
The ceremony, hosted by Egyptian presenter Jasmine Taha Zaki, highlighted that this edition featured 153 films from 55 countries. Official honors began with the Golden Pyramid Lifetime Achievement Awards presented to Chinese director Juan Ho and Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi. A special recognition was also given to cinematographer Mahmoud Abdelsamee.
Key awards across festival sections included:
Documentary Films:
- Winner: Thuraya Hubby (Nicolas Khoury)
International Critics’ Week:
- Special Mention: Plant World (Jing Yi)
- Jury Prize: At My Family Home (Tim Elrich)
- Shadi Abdel Salam Award: Habibi Hussein (Alex Bakry)
Short Films:
- Jury Prize ($3,000): A Very Upright Neck (New Sora)
- Best Arab Short Film ($2,000): Tita and Tita (Lin Safh)
- Youssef Chahine Award ($5,000): Cairo Streets (Abdullah Al-Taie)
- FIPRESCI Prize: Things That Kill (Ali Reza Khatami)
Arab Cinema Horizons:
- Best Acting Performance ($2,000): Afef Ben Mahmoud – Round 13
- Best Screenplay ($5,000): Yasser Shafie – Complaint 713317
- Special Jury Prize ($8,000): Against Cinema (Ali Said)
- Best Arab Film ($10,000): Silent Dog (Sarah Francis)
- Audience Award ($15,000): Zil Anna Ard (Directors: Mai Saad & Ahmed Aldanf)
International Competition:
- Best Artistic Contribution: City of Sands (Matthew Gio Mbeni)
- Best Actress (tie): Andrea Riseborough & Brenda Andrew Williams – Dragonfly
- Best Actor: Majd Eid – Once Upon a Time in Gaza
- Best Screenplay: Things That Kill (Ali Reza Khatami)
- Bronze Pyramid ($3,000): While We Breathe (Seamus Alton)
- Silver Pyramid ($5,000): Tarzan & Arab Nasser – Once Upon a Time in Gaza
- Golden Pyramid ($7,000): Dragonfly (Paul Andrew Williams)
Closing Film: Bearing Witness to Truth
The evening concluded with the screening of The Voice of Hind Rajab by director Kawthar Ben Haniya, praised for its uncompromising humanistic portrayal of the tragic events. Jasmine Taha Zaki emphasized that the film presents the story as experienced by the child herself, without exaggeration or dramatization, reinforcing cinema’s role in documenting reality and preserving memory.
