Since the federation's founding in 1925, Shawky is the first non-European or American to take over as president.
The International Federation of Film Critics, known as FIPRESCI, has announced its elected board of directors, appointing Egyptian critic Ahmed Shawky as the new President. This announcement was made during the General Assembly of FIPRESCI, which took place in the Hungarian city of Miskolc and hosted by the Cinefest Film Festival.
Ahmed Shawky’s appointment marks a pivotal moment, as he becomes the first non-European or American to lead the federation since its inception in 1925. Shawky, who serves as the head of El Gouna Film Festival’s CineGouna SpringBoard, will assume the role of President for the upcoming term, coinciding with FIPRESCI’s centennial celebrations slated for 2025.
Joining Shawky in the newly formed leadership are Paola Casella (Italy) and Elena Rubashevska (Ukraine), who were unanimously elected as Vice-Presidents and will serve a two-year term. Klaus Eder (Germany) retains his position as General Secretary, with Alin Tasciyan (Turkey) confirmed as his deputy. Former President Isabelle Danel of France has been designated as the honorary president of the Federation.
Ahmed Shawky’s career in the world of film includes roles as a programmer for numerous film festivals, including Cairo, Malmo, Mumbai, and others. He has also served as a jury member for esteemed festivals such as Locarno, Shanghai, Eurasia, Transylvania, Macao, Sofia, Oran, and Taipei. Shawky was the president of the Cannes Film Festival 2022 FIPRESCI Jury.
FIPRESCI, a global institution uniting film critics from across the globe, boasts a membership exceeding 2,500 critics, spanning 49 countries. Additionally, individual critics hailing from nations lacking a formal critics’ union are part of this diverse network.
In Egypt, FIPRESCI’s presence is represented by the Egyptian Film Critics Association, which holds the distinction of being the first Arab and African country to align with FIPRESCI.
