In its 15th year, the festival takes on special significance, celebrating key cinematic figures while offering activities that reinforce its role as a cultural and artistic platform connecting Egypt with the broader continent.
This edition is held under the theme Youssef Chahine… An Egyptian Story, highlighting his creative and human legacy. A selection of rare Chahine films (1926–2008), including some never publicly screened, will be presented.
Honouring cinematic legacies
The festival will also pay tribute to cinema personalities who passed away in 2025: Egyptian director and screenwriter Daoud Abdel Sayed (1946–2025), critic and producer Farouk Abdel-Khalek (1946–2025), Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé (1940–2025), Algerian actress and singer Biyouna (1952–2025), and Algerian director Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina (1934–2025).
At a recent Supreme Committee meeting, actor Mahmoud Hemida described the edition as a unique opportunity for study, research, and learning, noting Chahine as a filmmaker who grew alongside cinema and shaped its content. He added that the works of Daoud Abdel Sayed, Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina, and Souleymane Cissé offer similarly exceptional creative insight, and that the festival provides a space for meaningful dialogue around their contributions.
The festival will also honor Egyptian actress Riham Abdel-Ghafour, actor Khaled El-Sawy, director Mohamed Amin, South African director Ntshavheni wa Luruli, Moroccan director-producer Jamal Soussi, and Burkinabé director Dani Kouyaté.
Feature and short films from the continent and beyond
The festival will present films throughout numerous sections.
Ntshavheni wa Luruli, Dani Kouyaté, and Jamal Soussi will also sit on the jury of the Feature Film Competition, alongside Egyptian actress Basma and Egyptian director Saad Hendawy.
This segment will screen God's Work (South Africa) by Michael James, The Stories (Egypt) by Abu Bakr Shawky, I Jantô! (Attention! - Mali) by Soussaba Cissé, Tièclou – The Women’s Village (Burkina Faso) by Victorien Vialar, Africa Blanca (Morocco) by Azlarabe Alaoui Lamharzi, Roqia (France, Algeria) by Yanis Koussim, Promised Sky (France, Tunisia) by Erige Sehiri, Cotton Queen (Sudan, Germany, France) by Suzannah Mirghani, Cologne (Egypt) by Mohamed Siam, My Father’s Shadow (United Kingdom, Nigeria) by Akinola Davies Jr, and La mémoire du manguier (The Memory of the Mango Tree - Senegal) by Nicolas Sawalo Cissé others.
The festival will also screen two feature films by Tunisian directors in its out of competition segment: Bourguiba's Women (Nisa'u Bourguiba) by Jamel Dallali, and Sabbaet El-Ghoula...Trip In Memory by Mokhtar Ladjimi.
The Short Films jury presents names such as director Fatou Cissé (Mali), critic Tierno Ibrahimu (Cameroon), film critic and researcher in audiovisuals and cinema, Tarek Ben Chaabane (Tunisia), and film programmer Sakhile Gumede.
This segment brings together several films from all across the continent, featuring Egyptian filmmakers with titles like Is Rizo Coming to London? by Akram El-Bezawy, Oh Mirror, Mirror, Who Is Worse Than Me! by Tarek El-Dwiri, Children Are Not Allowed by Omar Hesham, and Dreams of Dendara by Sabrine Hossamy. Audiences will also experience works from across the continent, including Don’t Wake the Sleeping Child (Senegal) by Kevin Aubert, The Last Card (Algeria) by Oussama Daas, The Other Side of the Park (South Africa) by Charlie Vundla, Float (Kenya) by Lydia Matata, and Aicha (Morocco) by Sanaa Al-Aloui, along with compelling films from Uganda, Nigeria, Angola, Rwanda, Namibia, and beyond.
The festival also highlights cinema from Egypt’s South, with the Upper Egypt Film Competition showcasing an array of titles, including Naqada Silk by Anwar Al-Tayeb Ahmed, Searching for Shelter by Peter Mourad, Whispers of Upper Egypt by Mohamed Sameh and Seid Eldin Akmal, Journey Across the Mediterranean by Youssef Tarek, Racing the Sands by Islam Abdel Gawad, Mrs Bassima by Sara Al-Bortokali, Fatma by Mohanad Diab, Tambourines by Amr Mostafa, and The Lost Treasure by Nasser Sunbul.
The jury for this segment brings together celebrated Egyptian artists: actress Salwa Mohamed Ali, actor Mohsen Mansour, and art director Tharwat Abdel Latif.
The Animation Panorama brings together a selection of animated shorts, including My Brother, My Brother (Egypt, France, Germany) by Saad and Abdelrahman Denwar, Burden of Light (Egypt) by Salma Orabi, Gauze (France) by Oran Fikri Alezabi, Nicholas Arujah, Xinyue Ma, Yulin Yue, and Xiaonan Zhou, and The Water Carriers (Egypt) by Khaled El-Sayed.
Meanwhile, the Diaspora Film Competition showcases striking stories from across the globe: 40 Days (USA) by Peter Takla, The Big Everything (Niger, Belgium) by Aminatou Echard, The Eyes of Ghana (USA) by Ben Proudfoot, Le Peuple Sentinelle (Sentinelese People – Benin, France) by Cyril Le Tourneur d’Ison, To Dream Perhaps… Tunisia-Berlin (Tunisia) by Nidhal Guiga, and Il s’est passé quelque chose ici (Something Happened Here – France) by Taina Tarvonen.
The diaspora films will be judged by a diverse panel: Egyptian producer Mark Lotfy, actor Karim Kassem, and Cameroonian festival director Sylvie Nwet from the Yarha Film Festival.
The Auteur Film Competition, featuring a lineup of films to be revealed, will be judged by a trio of accomplished Egyptian screenwriters: Wessam Soliman, Nasser Abdel-Rahman, and Abdel-Rahim Kamal.
Learning opportunities
Besides screenings, the festival will offer a variety of workshops and masterclasses.
The acting workshop led by Hossam Dagher focuses on developing performance skills for both camera and stage through an intensive, practice-based approach. Drawing on the Meisner technique, it combines emotional truth, character-building, and physical expression to help participants strengthen their presence and authenticity.
A three-day workshop on cinematic makeup and special effects, led by Sherif El-Qazzaz, will introduce participants to practical techniques used to create injuries, scars, burns, and other effects for the screen. Participants will work with materials such as latex and wax to design complete film characters, with their final work presented to festival audiences. The workshop targets film and art students, makeup artists, filmmakers, photographers, and interested youth from Luxor.
Egyptian director Saad Hendawy will lead a masterclass on the key steps of making a first film, from developing an idea and writing the script to working with a limited budget, directing actors, and preparing the film for festivals. Drawing on his experience in fiction and documentary filmmaking, he will share practical advice for emerging filmmakers.
In a special masterclass titled Cinema of Daoud Abdel Sayed, veteran production designer Onsi Abou Seif will explore the cinematic world of the late director, focusing on how set design and props shape a film’s visual language and dramatic atmosphere. Drawing on his collaborations with Abdel Sayed in films such as El-Kit Kat and The Joy Thief, Abou Seif will share insights and behind-the-scenes stories about building immersive cinematic spaces.
Luxor African Film Festival
The LAFF is Egypt’s only cinematic event dedicated to showcasing African cinema's richness.
Throughout its history, the festival has screened countless films by African directors and held workshops, seminars, and industry-related events attended by filmmakers and film aficionados.
Launched in 2012, LAFF is organized by the Independent Shabab Foundation (ISF) NGO and is the brainchild of Egyptian screenwriter and actor Sayed Fouad and actress and film director Azza El-Hosseiny.
Actor Mahmoud Hemeida serves as LAFF’s honorary president.
Each year, the opening and/or closing ceremonies take place at one of Luxor's remarkable archaeological sites.
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