As it approaches its 46th edition, the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has unveiled a new official poster, rich in symbolism, replacing the one presented just days earlier at the October 12 press conference.
This change comes amid regional and international upheavals, coinciding with the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, chaired by the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, and attended by numerous world leaders. The festival deemed that the previous poster no longer reflected the spirit of the moment and sought an image that would be both more universal and in tune with current events.
A poster focused on Peace and Light
True to its cultural and humanistic mission, CIFF intended the new poster as a symbol of resilience and hope. As a platform that views cinema as the conscience of the world, the festival chose to convey through this image the values of peace, light, and renewal in the face of war and destruction.
At the center of the composition, a luminous passage stretches across the image, guiding a white dove soaring toward the horizon. This dove, a universal symbol of peace and redemption, embodies cinema’s role as a means of human elevation and liberation.
Surrounding it, the scene unfolds in shades of gold and bronze, with light gradients stretching from the depths to the horizon, reminiscent of a sunrise emerging from darkness. Olive branches frame the composition, symbolizing the regeneration of life, while two film ribbons wrap the scene, evoking the shared memory of cinema that connects people beyond borders and conflicts.
This new poster, a metaphor for rebirth, celebrates cinema as an art that rises from ruins and gives voice back to humanity. Every element converges toward a single vision: a passage from shadow to light, from suffering to hope.
Festival president Hussein Fahmy summarized the intention behind the poster:
“The poster embodies cinema as a renaissance that touches the soul and rekindles the world’s light.”
The Previous Version Quickly Replaced
A few days earlier, the festival had presented an initial poster designed by Ziad El Samahy (FP7 McCann Cairo). It depicted a young woman moving toward the light, referencing the famous sculpture by Mahmoud Mokhtar, Egypt’s Renaissance. This image, celebrating creativity and the transmission of knowledge, was meant as a metaphor for the transition from black-and-white to color, from the past to the future.
However, in light of the evolving international context, the festival opted for a more universal and serene image, centered on peace and human solidarity. The original poster, conceived as an ode to aesthetic renewal, was thus replaced by a timeless vision capable of speaking to the world.
A Powerful Symbol for an Edition Marked by Resilience
Through this new poster, the Cairo International Film Festival reminds us that cinema is not only an art of vision but also an act of resistance against fear and destruction. The dove and the olive branches, symbols of unity and hope, emphasize cinema’s role as a universal language, one of dialogue and the restoration of peace.
In these times of encroaching shadows, this white dove soaring toward the light becomes more than a graphic motif: it embodies the festival’s mission itself, representing cinema as a bearer of humanity, empathy, and hope.
Founded in 1976, the festival remains one of the oldest and most prestigious in the Arab world and Africa. It is still the only festival in the region recognized as a Category “A” event by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in Paris. Held annually under the patronage of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, it preserves a unique cinematic heritage, blending memory, modernity, and openness to the world.
Neïla Driss
