The IIFFDS requires that all requests for submission arrive no later than end of December.

Egyptian critic Essam Zakaria returns for a fifth term as president of the prestigious festival in 2023, succeeding director Saad Hendawy who led the 23rd edition in 2022.

Zakaria had served as president of the festival in four successive editions - from the 19th thru the 22nd.

The IIFFDS, launched in 1991 and the first festival of its kind in the Arab World, is organised under the auspices of the culture ministry's National Cinema Centre, which is led by newly-appointed film-editor Manar Hosny.

Public and private modes of transportation are available to travel to the city of Ismailia which is located on the Suez Canal 100km east of the capital Cairo.

Hotels and resorts in and around the city offer deals that accommodate various budgets.