Egypt hosts 11th edition with tributes and global film showcase

Festival honors Ahmed Malek and Riham Abdel-Ghaffour, hosts screenings across iconic venues through May 2

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (MNTV) — Egypt’s 11th Alexandria Short Film Festival (ASFF) opened with a vibrant ceremony celebrating Arab cinema and launching a week-long program of international film screenings, masterclasses, and cultural discussions.

The opening night honored actor Ahmed Malek and actress Riham Abdel-Ghaffour with the Golden Hypatia Award for their artistic contributions. 

Musical entertainment was provided by the El-Anfoushi Ensemble led by maestro Haitham Medhat Bassiouny, followed by the screening of short films Hatch (Canada) and Children of Barzagh (UAE).

Held across five venues in the Mediterranean city — including the Alexandria Opera House, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Metro Cinema, Alexandria National Museum, and Graeco-Roman Museum — the festival will continue through May 2.

This year’s International Fiction Competition features 20 short films representing countries such as Iran, Italy, Chile, Lebanon, Australia, and Germany. 

Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah chairs the jury, joined by Russian filmmaker Milyausha Aituganova, Spanish director Manuel Peña, French programmer Camille Varenne, and Egyptian actress Sherry Adel.

The Arab Film Competition includes nine entries, with films from Egypt, Lebanon, the UAE, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. 

Eleven films will also be showcased in the Official Out of Competition section, including Bogota Story (Colombia), The Surrogate Girl (Turkey), and Happy Independence Day (Kazakhstan).

A notable addition this year is the AI Film Competition, featuring 13 films from Algeria, Norway, Tunisia, France, and Egypt, exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and cinema.

The Children’s Cinema section includes eight films from Qatar, Portugal, the UAE, the US, Tunisia, and Egypt. 

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Student Film Competition highlights up-and-coming talent with short films produced by students from the High Cinema Institute, Beni Suef University, the American University in Cairo, and Helwan University.

The Animation segment presents a range of international titles such as Sensitive Strings (UK), Detlev (Germany), Urban Duo (China), The Song of Flying Leaves (Armenia), and Cannot Sleep (Japan).

Beyond film screenings, ASFF 2025 offers a rich program of educational activities, including masterclasses, workshops, and panels. 

Topics range from preserving artistic heritage and special effects to the role of women in the arts. Actors Mahmoud Hemeida, Ahmed Shaker, and Entisar, along with filmmaker Kawthar Younis and director Ahmed Orabi, are among the featured speakers.

Actors Malek and Abdel-Ghaffour will also lead an acting masterclass. A new award in memory of the late filmmaker Maha El-Shennawy — introduced by her son, director Karim El-Shennawy — aims to spotlight outstanding student filmmakers.

The festival will conclude with a final round of the Golden Hypatia Awards, including honors for sound engineer Moustafa Shaaban and filmmaker Emad Maher.

This year’s official festival poster, designed by Abdelrahman Ahmed, features Alexandria’s iconic citadel and boats as symbols of cinematic inspiration. The Palestinian flag is displayed alongside Egypt’s in a gesture of cultural solidarity.

Organized by the Arts’ Circle (Dayret Al-Fann) Association, ASFF was founded in 2015 by Mohamed Mahmoud, Mohamed Saadoun, and Mony Mahmoud, and has since grown into a prominent platform for Arab and international short films.