The film won the Silver Pyramid Award, a prize granted to the directors. As the second major recognition in CIFF’s International Competition, it comes with a monetary award of $5,000.
Actor Majd Eid won the Best Actor Award for his role as Osama, a character whose murder drives Yahya (Nader Abd Alhay) to seek revenge.
The film also received the top honor in the Arab Feature Competition, a section showcasing Arab films across CIFF’s various programmes. This prize includes a monetary award of $15,000.
Once Upon a Time in Gaza (France, Palestine, Germany, Portugal, Qatar, Jordan) had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, where it won the section's Best Director prize. Its screening at CIFF marks the film’s MENA premiere.
Set in Gaza in 2007, the film follows Yahya, a young student who befriends Osama, a charismatic falafel seller with a hidden side business smuggling prescription drugs. Their modest operation soon draws the attention of a corrupt police officer, triggering a deadly conflict. A few years later, Yahya is unexpectedly cast in a locally produced action TV series, giving him a chance to confront the person responsible for Osama’s death. The film blends dark humor, political satire, and a sharp portrayal of daily life and struggle in Gaza.
The directors, Tarzan and Arab Nasser, are Palestinian twin brothers also known for Gaza Mon Amour (2020), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and went on to win several awards at international festivals. The film was selected as the Palestinian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, though it was not nominated.
The brothers’ debut feature, Dégradé, premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week in 2015.
The 46th Cairo International Film Festival (12–21 November) closed on Friday with a grand ceremony at the Cairo Opera House.
The main award, the Golden Pyramid for Best Film, was given to Dragonfly by Paul Andrew Williams (United Kingdom), with two actresses from the film—Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn—winning the Best Actress Award (ex aequo).
The Bronze Pyramid – Special Jury Award was presented to the Turkish production As We Breathe by Şeyhmus Altun.
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