On Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the heart of the International Village of the Cannes film market, Egypt has distinguished itself by winning the prize for the best pavilion, awarded at the end of the fourth edition of the Pavilion Design Awards. This increasingly coveted prize runs the joint efforts of several Egyptian cinematographic institutions, welcoming their ability to transform an ephemeral space into a real home for culture, history and film innovation.
Designed as a meeting and radiation space, the Egyptian pavilion has seduced the jury by its clear and ambitious vision. The distinction received – which celebrates at the same time the aesthetics, the programming and the dynamics of the reception – was attributed by a jury made up of Yi Chou, member of the Cannes Makers 2024 program, Elaine Guerini, Brazilian film critic, and Leticia Godinho, deputy director of the Business of Series Mania department. Together, they visited 19 pavilions representing a mosaic of countries and institutions – from Morocco to Estonia, from Tunisia to the French Institute – before appointing Egypt as a winner of this 2025 edition.
A scenography thought as a cultural manifesto
The success of the pavilion is due to the strength of its scenography, designed and imagined by Shereen Farghal, founder and director of Jy Studios. At the heart of this installation, the exhibition ” Seven Egyptian Cities that embraced cinema (Seven Egyptian cities that kissed cinema) »Retraced with poetry and precision the close ties between the seventh art and Egyptian urbanity. This route offered visitors a singular look at the way Egyptian cities have gone, welcomed and shaped national cinematography over the decades.
But beyond aesthetic elegance and historical inspiration, it is the functional ingenuity of the pavilion that particularly caught the attention of the jury. The film market press release underlines the presence of a small projection room integrated into the device, thought for ” Tell the history of Egyptian cinema and assert its current place in industry ». This subtle ” balance between heritage and news “Has embodied, according to the members of the jury, the very spirit of the price: to distinguish the pavilions which are not simple windows, but real living platforms of dialogue and creation.
A collective organization at the service of a common ambition
The Egyptian pavilion was born out of a close collaboration between three major institutions: the Cairo Film International Festival, represented by its president, actor Hussein Fahmy, the El Gouna film festival, led by Amr Mansi (Director ExéTheir exemplary coordination made it possible to give shape to a shared vision: to offer an immersive experience which goes beyond the promotional framework to be part of a dynamic of long -term professional cooperation.
In an enthusiastic statement, Hussein Fahmy praised this recognition by stressing the consistency of a project thought from the start as a meeting place between the local and the international. “” This price confirms the excellence of the Egyptian pavilion to the film market “He said, recalling that” Each activity, each interaction has been designed to enhance the diversity of cinematographic capacities of Egypt and promote concrete partnerships with professionals around the world ».
Strategic professional activities
Throughout the nine days of the film market, the Egyptian pavilion hosted a dense and targeted programming, including conferences, workshops and presentations. These events have aimed to strengthen cooperation opportunities in the region, to encourage international filming to choose Egypt as a destination, but also to highlight the emerging and confirmed talents of the country. Space has done as a lever for development for the local film industry, by fully anchoring in the market logic of the market.
This strategic approach is part of an assertive desire to reposition Egypt as a regional and international hub of film production, taking advantage of its rich heritage, its human resources and its filming infrastructures.
A recognition that goes beyond borders
This prize is not only celebrating the pavilion as such, but also devoting the collective impulse of an ecosystem which, for several years, has multiplied initiatives to have Egyptian cinema shine beyond its borders. For Shereen Farghal, indirect winner of this distinction thanks to her conception work, the emotion is palpable: ” This recognition reflects the considerable efforts of the entire Egyptian cinematographic community. It would not have been possible without the support of our partners and without the commitment of the talents who contributed to the project ».
It is also this synergy between public institutions, independent festivals, artists and professionals that gives the approach all its legitimacy and singularity. At a time when cultural diplomacy is increasingly going through event devices, the example of the Egyptian Pavilion 2025 could be a school, showing that a stand, as ephemeral it is, can crystallize large national ambitions.
Towards a new era of visibility for Egyptian cinema?
The success of the Egyptian pavilion in Cannes is part of a context of renewal for the cinema of the country, which seeks to win back a leading place in the international cinematographic landscape. This reward, far from being symbolic, could serve as a springboard for new projects, for reinforced partnerships and a greater circulation of Egyptian works in festivals and markets around the world.
She also invites us to think about how a country can be told through the prism of cinema, and how event architecture – when it is consistently thought of – becomes a powerful vector of national narration. By betting on a story both anchored in history and turned to the future, Egypt has seduced, moving and convincing, while affirming its will to play an active role on the world cinematographic scene.
In a film market where pavilions compete in creativity to capture attention, the triumph of Egypt resonates as a call for excellence and shared vision. More than a price, it is an invitation launched to the world of cinema: that of (re) discovering a country whose past, the present and the cinematographic future combine with audacity.
Neïla Driss
