Saturday 22/November/2025 – 12:50 AM
At the closing ceremony of its 46th session, the Cairo International Film Festival announced the full list of awards, which included multiple competitions during which the jury presented selections that reflect the strength of the competition and the diversity of participating works this year.
The complete summary of the 46th Cairo International Film Festival Awards
In the International Critics Week Competition, the film “Habibi Hussein” by director Alex Bakri won the Shadi Abdel Salam Award for Best Film, which is the competition’s grand prize. “In My Parents House” by Tim Elrich also received the Fathi Farag Award – Special Jury Prize, while “The Botanist” by director Jing Yi received a Special Mention from the jury. The jury was composed of Salma Abu Deif, Elie Dagher, and Claire Gadea.
In the short film competition, the film “Cairo Streets” by director Abdullah Taya won the Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film, presented by the Watch It platform, with a value of $5,000. The Special Jury Prize, worth $3,000, was also awarded to A Very Straight Neck by Niu Sora. The award for the best Arab short film went to the film “Two Tetas” by director Lynn Al-Safah, with a value of $2,000. The jury was headed by Thai director Pom Boonsirmvicha, with members Tara Imad and Anas Sareen.
The festival also announced that the film “The Things You Kill” by director Ali Reza Khatami won the FIPRESCI Award, after being selected from a committee that included critic Ahmed Shawqi, French critic Laura Pertwee, and Dutch critic Thierry Verkhoven. The film is a deep psychological experience that deals with self-conflicts and secrets of the past.
In the Best Arab Feature Film competition, “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” by directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser won the Best Arab Feature Film award presented by Watch It, worth $10,000. The film “So-and-So” by director Zahraa Ghandour also received a special mention from the jury, which included Karim El-Shenawy, Wael Abu Mansour, and Rola Nasser. The film presents a harsh human vision of Gaza in 2007 through an unexpected relationship that develops between a young student and a kind-hearted drug dealer.
In the NETPAC competition for Best Asian Feature Film, the film “The Botanist” by director Jing Yi won the award, in recognition of his original artistic vision. The jury was formed by Bina Paul from India, Ahmed Al-Saeed and Celine Rostan.
The festival also announced the awards for the Arab Cinema Horizons Competition, where actress Afaf Bin Mahmoud won the award for best acting performance for the film “Round 13” worth $2,000. Yasser Shafi’i won the best screenplay award for the film “Complaint 713317,” worth $5,000. As for the Salah Abu Seif Award – Special Jury, the film “ANTI-CINEMA” by director Ali Saeed won with a value of $8,000, while the Saad El-Din Wehbe Award for Best Arab Film went to the film “Dead Dog” by director Sarah Francis, with a value of $10,000.
The Cairo International Film Festival continues to consolidate its position as one of the most prominent Arab and international festivals, relying on providing a renewed platform that showcases world cinema, embraces new voices, and contributes to developing the film industry in the region and enhancing its global presence.
