Nelly, 72, made a fine appearance at the event, which was held at the Cairo Opera House on the 5th day of the CIFF, using her usual sense of humour, thanking the festival for the important award.

The CIFF prestigious Golden Pyramid award is presented to prominent film figures who enriched the art of cinema with outstanding works.

The celebration was attended by tens of filmmakers and critics and moderated by prominent critic Tarek El-Shennawy.

Most known for her multiple seasons of the popular 80s and early 90s ‘Fawazeer’ (Riddles) TV musical show in Ramadan, the iconic actress, singer, and dancer discussed glimpses of her rich career in which she starred in around 118 different projects, ranging from cinema, theatre, and television.

Born in 1949 to an artistic family, Nelly started her career early at the age of four, playing ‘Mona’ in the film ‘Deprivation’ opposite Imad Hamdi.

She quickly became a favourite talent, appearing in such films as ‘Birds of Paradise’, ‘Mercy of Heaven’, ‘Repentance’, and ‘Until We Meet’, and so many more.

Her last appearance came in the TV series ‘Qasasis Waraq’ in 2005.

"Despite her absence from the art scene since then, we can date most of her life stages through the film and television cameras that captured her since her early childhood,” reads a statement by the CIFF.

Nelly is the younger sister of actress Fayrouz, who is known in Egyptian cinema as the “miracle child”, and the cousin of legendary actress Lebleba.

Screening over 111 films from 63 countries, the activities of the CIFF’s 43rd edition, running until 5 December, include 34 world premieres, workshops and seminars.

It also features a number of honouring ceremonies for a number of renowned filmmakers, including Egyptian actor Karim Abdel-Aziz, Thierry Frémaux, the director of the Cannes International Film Festival , and Indian composer A.R. Rahman.