This extension is in response to the high demand for registration through the festival's official website.
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), under the leadership of actor Hussein Fahmy, has extended the submission deadline for its 45th edition to September 1.
The 45th Cairo International Film Festival will be held in Cairo from 13th to 22nd of November 2024 having its headquarters at the Cairo Opera House.
This year, the festival aims to highlight Arab cinema with the introduction of the ‘Horizons of Arab Cinema Awards.’ These awards come with a total prize pool of $25,000, distributed across five categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and acting awards for both men and women. This marks the first time CIFF is offering financial incentives, underscoring its commitment to supporting and promoting Arab filmmaking talent.
To be eligible for the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition, feature fiction and documentary films must have been released after October 2023, run for over 60 minutes, and not have been screened in Egypt prior to CIFF. Additionally, these films should not have been shown on any TV, satellite channel or digital platform, except for festival screenings.
For the International Critics’ Week Competition, entries must be the director’s first or second feature, released after October 2023, and longer than 60 minutes. They must not have been screened in the MENA region or on any TV, satellite channel or digital platform, except for festivals, prior to CIFF.
The Short Film Competition accepts films released after October 2023, with a maximum duration of 30 minutes. All genres, including fiction, non-fiction, animation and experimental, are accepted, provided they have not been screened in the MENA region or on any TV, satellite channel or digital platform before CIFF.
Entries for Out of Competition, Special Screenings, International Panorama or Midnight Screenings must also be released after October 2023, with a runtime exceeding 60 minutes and no prior screenings in Egypt.
The selected films can be screened up to five times in line with FIAPF regulations. Once a film’s participation is confirmed in writing, it cannot be withdrawn from the festival.
The festival will also feature several special awards: the Youssef Cherif Rizkallah Award (Audience Award) of $15,000, shared between the producer and the Egyptian distributor of the winning film, and the Best Arab Film Award of $10,000, given to the producer of the best Arab film selected from any of the three main competitions. Additionally, the Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film will present $5,000 to the winning director.
