CIFF 2025 – 25 Egyptian films for the centenary of FIPRESCI

The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has revealed, in partnership with the International Federation of the Cinematographic Press (FIPRESCI) and the Egyptian Film Critics Association (EFCA), the list of 25 best Egyptian films of the first quarter of the 21st century. The initiative, launched on the occasion of the centenary of FIPRESCI, marks a major milestone in the historic collaboration between international critics and one of the most prestigious festivals in the Arab world and Africa.

The results of this ranking will be published in a special work published for the 46th edition of the festival, scheduled for November 12 to 21, 2025. This volume will include critical analyzes of each of the twenty-five films selected as well as an in-depth study of the major aesthetic and production trends that have marked Egyptian cinema since the year 2000. In addition, a round table will be organized during the festival to present the work and debate it with the public, critics and professionals.

The idea for this survey was born from a brainstorming session bringing together the three partners – FIPRESCI, CIFF and EFCA – with the objective of documenting more than a century of Egyptian cinema, while promoting recent achievements through a rigorous critical eye. The official announcement of the project was made in May 2025 at the Egyptian Pavilion at the Cannes Film Market, during the 78th edition of the festival.

A precise methodology

To establish this ranking, a voting form was distributed to all members of the Egyptian Film Critics Association. They had a list of 881 feature films released in Egypt between January 1, 2001 and July 31, 2025. If the last five months of the current year were not taken into account, this choice made it possible to present the results ahead of the festival. Eligible films included both theatrical releases and works directly broadcast on satellite channels or streaming platforms, guaranteeing fair competition between all productions.

Sixty-three critics participated in this vote, demonstrating a strong commitment from the profession. This collective work now offers a valuable reference for spectators, researchers and film historians wishing to understand which works have decisively marked the Egyptian cinematic landscape of the last twenty-five years.

The list of 25 films selected

Among the top-ranked films, I Love Cinema by Osama Fawzy illustrates with rare delicacy the way in which cinema can become a driver of curiosity and passion among younger generations. The film features a young boy fascinated by images and stories, offering an implicit reflection on the intimate relationship between the spectator and cinematographic art, but also on the way in which cinema can embody cultural and social landmarks in contemporary Egypt. This sensitivity is found in the works of Daoud Abdel Sayed, whose Messages from the sea explores memory and identity in depth through the story of a man confronted with his past. These films bear witness to a cinema which, while telling personal stories, engages in a broader reflection on Egyptian society and culture.

The selection also highlights directors capable of combining critical success and international recognition. This is the case of Mawran Hamed with Yacoubian Buildingwhich not only launched his career but also propelled Alla Al Aswany’s novel onto the world stage. The film helped to give international visibility to Egyptian literature and cinema, while acutely addressing the social, political and economic tensions of the time. This ability to reach a wide audience while maintaining artistic standards is found in Youssef Chahine and Khaled Youssef, whose collaboration on Chaos confirms Chahine’s lasting influence and his way of dealing with complex social issues with an assertive narrative style.

The ranking also recognizes the emergence of new and daring voices who experiment with forms and aesthetics. Omar Zohairy, with Feathersembodies this contemporary cinema capable of surprising and provoking, both through its presentation at Cannes and the controversy it aroused in Egypt. This gap between the international reception, marked by the recognition of the film in festivals, and the local reaction, often critical or even hostile, illustrates the permanent tension between artistic modernity and social perception in Egypt. Likewise, Microphone by Ahmad Abdalla Elsayed is interested in underground culture and Cairo’s alternative music scene, revealing an inventive and committed youth. These works show that 21st century Egyptian cinema is not only focused on entertainment or tradition: it also seeks to question, experiment and renew its codes, by giving voice to previously marginalized stories. It should be noted that these two films won the Golden Tanit at the Carthage Cinematographic Days.

The place given to films exploring urban and social issues, such as The last days of a city by Tamer El Said, demonstrates an interest in contemporary space and its transformations. Cairo then becomes a character in its own right, and the stories that unfold there reflect changes in society, individual and collective tensions, as well as new forms of life in the metropolis. Likewise, The women of Cairo highlights female perspectives and marginalized characters, highlighting that contemporary Egyptian cinema places increasing importance on the diversity of voices and the representation of complex social realities.

Finally, this ranking highlights a balance between daring films and accessible works, showing that Egyptian cinema of the 21st century knows how to combine artistic innovation and dialogue with the public. This selection testifies to the vitality and diversity of Egyptian cinema, capable of navigating between tradition and modernity, between national success and international recognition, while continuing to document and question the social and cultural transformations of contemporary society.

An initiative that is part of the history of the festival and criticism

Founded in 1976, the Cairo International Film Festival remains the only Arab and African festival classified in category “A” by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations), a status it shares with the world’s largest cinematographic events. This project is part of its mission to promote cinematographic heritage while supporting developments in contemporary cinema.

For its part, FIPRESCI, created in 1925 in Brussels, today brings together national associations of critics from more than fifty countries and individual members from around forty others. Its vocation is to defend film criticism and promote cinema culture on an international scale.

With this selection, FIPRESCI, EFCA and CIFF offer an unprecedented panorama of Egyptian cinema from the beginning of the century, a tool of memory and transmission which invites us to reread a quarter of a century of creation through the demanding gaze of critics. The work and the debates to come should fuel in-depth reflection on the vitality of a cinema in perpetual dialogue with its history and its present.

Here is the complete ranking established by the critics

1. I Love Cinema (2004) — Osama Fawzy
2. Messages from the sea (2010) — Daoud Abdel Sayed
3. The Citizen, the Informant and the Thief (2001) — Daoud Abdel Sayed
4. The Sun Gate (2004) — Yousry Nasrallah
5. The Heliopolis apartment (2007) — Mohamed Khan
6. sleepless nights (2003) — Hani Khalifa
7. The best moments (2004) — Hala Khalil
8. Microphone (2011) — Ahmad Abdalla Elsayed
9. Ibrahim El Abyad (2009) — Mawran Hamed
10. Yacoubian Building (2006) — Mawran Hamed
11. The Magician (2001) — Radwan El-Kashef
12. The last days of a city (2016) — Tamer El Said
13. His Excellency the Minister (2002) — Samir Seif
14. The women of Cairo (2009) — Yousry Nasrallah
15. Go out to day (2012) — Hala Lotfy
16. Closed Doors (2001) — Atef Hatata
17. Feathers (2021) — Omar Zohairy
18. The Aquarium (2008) — Yousry Nasrallah
19. Finding a way out for Mr. Rambo (2025) — Khaled Mansour
20. Hiyam, the factory girl (2014) — Mohamed Khan
21. One-zero (2009) — Kamlah Abu-Zikri
22. Free time (2006) — Mohammed Moustafa
23. The Island (2007) — Sherif Arafa
24. Abu Zaabal 89 (2025) — Bassam Mortada
25. Chaos (2007) — Youssef Chahine & Khaled Youssef

Neila Driss