The Cairo International Film Festival, the most prestigious film event on the African continent and the only A-category festival in the MENA region, will celebrate its 46th edition from 12th to 22nd November, with its line-up already announced.
Under the programme management of newly appointed artistic director Mohamed Tarek, the festival presents a versatile selection that offers a strong overview of current world cinema trends, while maintaining an extensive focus on the region.
Together with his team, Mohamed has curated a selection that includes both prominent and emerging Arab films, giving them their regional premieres in Cairo before they travel to other major regional festivals.
Highlights include Once Upon a Time in Gaza by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, Calle Malaga by Maryam Touzani, and Exile by Mehdi Hmili, thus reaffirming Cairo’s role as a vital hub for Arab cinema.
Additionally, a special section of the festival will feature 22 restored Egyptian classics, bringing these gems back to new generations with the quality they deserve.
Last but not least, several veteran figures from Arab cinema, such as Egyptian director Mohamed Abdel Aziz, cinematographer Mahmoud Abdel Samie, actor Khaled El Nabawy, and Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass, will receive awards at special galas for their career achievements.
Meanwhile, the cutting-edge Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition — a section dedicated to this year's releases that explore the region’s diverse social and cultural contexts — brings together a slate of films often unfamiliar to broader international audiences.
This year’s selection highlights both emerging voices and established filmmakers, featuring works that explore social realities, personal struggles, and cultural transformations across the Arab world, ranging from intimate character studies to incisive social satire.
Furthermore, the international jury for Horizons of Arab Cinema — comprising Moroccan producer Karim Aitouna, Swiss Locarno Film Festival board member Nadia Dresti, and Egyptian cinematographer Abdelsalam Moussa — will award four prizes, each recognising a distinct aspect of filmmaking.
With the festival just around the corner, here are the selected films:
Azza
Director: Stefanie Brockhaus – Germany/Saudi Arabia
Azza's life, defined by compromise, began with marriage at 16 and motherhood at a young age, and she has since faced the challenges of abuse, divorce, and estrangement, all while being denied a formal education.
After a second marriage restores her family ties, Azza continues to struggle for stability, balancing her work as a driving instructor with raising her children.
A journey into the desert becomes both a literal and metaphorical road to freedom, symbolising her quest for self-discovery and autonomy.
Shot over three years by German director Stefanie Brockhaus, the documentary, which premiered in March at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX), offers an intimate portrait of a woman carving out agency in a society caught between tradition and modernity.
Complaint No. 713317
Director: Yasser Shafiey – Egypt
Blending dark comedy with social critique, Yasser’s debut feature follows Magdy and Sama, a retired couple whose quiet life in Maadi is disrupted when their fridge breaks down.
What begins as a simple repair escalates into a months-long ordeal with a shady maintenance company, revealing the absurdities of bureaucracy and the strains of ageing.
With a sharp eye for everyday frustrations, the film balances humour and melancholy, continuing Yasser’s exploration of contemporary Egyptian life established in his acclaimed short films.
Dead Dog
Director: Sarah Francis – Lebanon
In this thoughtful exploration of estranged intimacy, which premiered earlier this year at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Walid returns to Lebanon after years abroad and reunites with his wife, Aida. Their reunion is tense and reflective, as past grievances, secrets, and the mystery surrounding their dog, Punto, surface.
Sarah's film delicately navigates the spaces between conversation and silence, capturing a marriage both alive and unravelling, while minimalist cinematography and a haunting synthesiser score emphasise the emotional undercurrents, crafting a poignant portrait of love, memory, and estrangement.
Flana
Director: Zahraa Ghandour – Iraq/France/Qatar
Recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Flana is a sharp debut feature confronting the unresolved disappearances of Iraqi women, tracing a personal journey shaped by childhood loss.
Following the disappearance of her friend Nour, Zahraa examines the concept of 'flana' — anonymous women whose fates remain unrecorded — linking past and present while exploring Iraq’s complex social and legal landscape.
With unobtrusive camera work and a haunting score, the film amplifies real-life testimonies and personal archives, creating a sensitive yet powerful reflection on collective trauma and resilience.
Goundafa, The Cursed Song
Director: Ali Benjelloun – Morocco
Set in Morocco’s High Atlas village of Goundafa, Ali’s film observes a community divided between tradition and emerging conservatism. As young men pursue musical ambitions, village women sustain local rituals through song.
The arrival of a conservative imam creates tension, challenging cultural identities and testing the bonds of family and community.
The film intertwines music, heritage, and social change, revealing the interplay between creativity, faith, and rebellion.
Looking for Ayda
Director: Sarra Abidi – Tunisia
In Sarra’s contemplative drama, Ayda’s life is disrupted when a colleague leaves her call centre unexpectedly.
Confronting unspoken feelings and re-evaluating her routines, Ayda embarks on a journey of self-reflection, exploring her relationship to time, space, and her own desires. The film blends personal introspection with social observation, offering an intimate portrait of a woman navigating change.
Pasha’s Girls
Director: Mohamed Al Adl – Egypt
Mohamed’s grimly comic drama begins with the sudden death of beautician Nadia, who is killed in a terrorist attack.
As her colleagues scramble to conceal the circumstances, they confront personal truths, social norms, and the moral compromises demanded by their environment.
With sharp social commentary and moments of absurdist humour, the film interrogates power, secrecy, and complicity within everyday life.
Round 13
Director: Mohamed Ali Nahdi – Tunisia/Cyprus/Qatar
A family drama of devastating emotional force, Round 13, supported by the Spring Grants of Doha Film Institute, follows former boxing champion Kamel and his wife, Samia, as their son, Sabri, is diagnosed with a malignant tumour.
The film charts Kamel’s descent into despair, Samia’s determination to hold on to hope, and Sabri’s resilient confrontation with illness.
Through intimate performances and relentless pacing, Mohamed presents a deeply affecting meditation on love, loss, and survival in the face of inevitable tragedy.
Mariana Hristova is a freelance film critic, cultural journalist, and programmer. She contributes to national and international outlets and has curated programs for Filmoteca de Catalunya, Arxiu Xènctric, and goEast Wiesbaden, among others. Her professional interests include cinema from the European peripheries and archival and amateur films