The opening was attended by a number of well-known actresses and actors, alongside renowned filmmakers, representing various generations.

The red carpet saw actresses Sawsan Badr, who is among the festival’s honorees, Salwa Khattab, Sherry Adel, Dalia Al-Behery, Reem Al-Baroudy, as well as actor Bassem Samra; film critic Tarek El Shennawy; scriptwriter Mohamed Abdel-Khaleq; the festival’s artistic director Ahmed Shawky; the festival's director, Hassan Abul-Ela, among other renowned guests from Egypt and the international scene.

The opening was also attended by a number of officials including Major General Ashraf Attia, Governor of Aswan and Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt; Ambassador Mervat El-Talawy, Director General of the Arab Women Organization and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Aswan Festival; Khaled Abdel Jalil, advisor to the Ministry of Culture for cinema affairs, among others.

During the opening ceremony, the festival honored three remarkable women: Egyptian actress Sawsan Badr, director Inaam Mohamed Aly, French actress and director Marilyne Canto, and Somali political strategist Hibaaq Osman.

As the festival continues until 28 February, over 34 films – 12 feature and 22 short - will be screened within their respective competitive sectors.

Apart of the screenings, the festival also hold workshops and seminars revolving around the cinema and role of women in its development.