9 Egyptian Films Selected for Cairo Int'l Film Festival

Returning for its 46th edition, the Cairo International Film Festival has announced a list of nine Egyptian films that will be competing in the festival this year, scheduled for November 12th to 21st. From autobiographical documentaries to experimental short films, the selections this year are steeped in themes of loss and how meaning, memory, and identity are shaped by holding on to what is lost. The Unnamed (Egypt) By Abanoub Nabil A young girl named Jannah’s life is turned upside down when her mother—a professional dancer—suffers a devastating collapse. As Jannah sets out to help her mother, she embarks on a deeply personal journey of rediscovery, resilience, and healing.   Triangle of Love (Egypt) By Alaa Mahmoud A feature documentary spanning ten years, tracing the struggle of the filmmaker’s mother against cancer and the emotional aftermath of her death on the filmmaker and her brother.   Complaint No. 713317 (Egypt) By Yasser Shafei The life of a retired couple living in Maadi is turned upside down when their refrigerator breaks down. What was supposed to be a simple repair turns into a months-long confrontation against a shady maintenance company, bureaucracy, and the struggles of aging.     Life After Siham (France, Egypt) By Namir Abdel Messeeh Faced with his mother’s death, Namir – a filmmaker suffering from creative block - decides to revive his mother’s memory using the medium of film, relying on the magic of cinema to resurrect her. During this journey, which spans Egypt and France, he discovers that the real power of cinema lies primarily in bringing the living back to life. Life After Siham was the recipient of two awards at the 2025 El Gouna Film Festival, including Best Arab Documentary Film.   One More Show (Egypt, Palestine) By Mai Saad & Ahmed El Danaf A 72-minute documentary that follows the members of the Gaza Free Circus troupe as they survive in the midst of an ongoing genocide, putting on shows in Gaza’s ravaged streets for children displaced by the war. The documentary explores what it means to resist destruction and find joy in the face of horror.   Pasha’s Girls (Egypt) By Mohamed Al Adl In the aftermath of a terrorist attack, beautician Nadia is found dead, and her colleagues rush to conceal what appears to be a suicide. As they prepare her body and navigate the moral maze that follows, Pasha’s Girls reveals a layered portrait of women caught between societal expectations, self-preservation, and unspoken grief.   Eman (Egypt, France) By Amir Youssef Hoping for a miracle to find his missing mother, a young Egyptian Copt goes to the Basilica of Saint-Quentin. There, he explores the existential questions of his faith in the labyrinth of his memories.   The Last Miracle (Egypt, Germany, Sudan) By Abdelwahab Shawky Yahya, a 40-year-old obituary page editor, faces reprimand after misspelling the name of a prominent Sufi sheikh. Distraught, he seeks solace in a bar, only to receive a surprising phone call from the deceased sheikh.    Cone (Egypt) By Mark Ayman A student graduation film, this short follows the story of a university professor as he rediscovers Cairo, its unspoken rules, and its power dynamics.