With just weeks to go before the 46th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), running from November 12 to 21, 2025, the Cairo Film Connection (CFC) has unveiled the projects selected for its 11th edition, scheduled from November 17 to 20. As part of Cairo Industry Days, the CFC serves as a key platform for co-production, development, and networking among Arab and international filmmakers.
This year’s edition brings together 15 projects from 10 countries, representing a wide range of stages from development to post-production. The lineup includes four projects from Egypt, three from Lebanon, two from Iraq, two from Palestine, and one project each from Tunisia, Jordan, Sudan, Algeria, and Yemen. In addition, Alicante by Lina Soualem, an Algerian-French co-production, joins the selection through CFC’s partnership with Amman Industry Days.
In the Post-Production category, the selected projects are All That the Wind Can Carry by Maged Nader (Egypt), Asphalt by Hamza Hamid (Jordan), The Colour of Our Time by Hayder Helo (Iraq, Belgium, Egypt), The Day of Wrath by Rania Rafei (Lebanon), and Revolutionaries Never Die by Mohanad Yaqubi (Palestine, Belgium).
The In-Development Non-Fiction category includes Aman by Maythem Ridha (Iraq, Egypt, United Kingdom, Jordan), Dance with Me by Leila Basma (Lebanon, Czech Republic), Goodbye Party by Sarra El Abed (Tunisia, Canada), I Have Other Friends by Yomna Khattab (Egypt), and Where Do I Belong by Ibrahim Mohamed (Sudan).
Finally, the In-Development Fiction category features Al-Madeeneh 2008 by Youssef Assabahi (Yemen), The Side Effects of Trusting Life by Ahmad Ghossein (Lebanon, Germany, Norway), Rainbows Don’t Last Long by Mayye Zayed (Egypt), Rock Paper Sea by Randa Ali (Egypt), and Ping-Pong by Saleh Saadi (Palestine).
CFC Director Rodrigo Brum emphasized the collaborative nature of the selection process and the diversity of the projects included: “Our choices are the result of months of collective work and in-depth viewing. What excites me most is that behind each title there is not only a filmmaker with a vision, but also collaborators, communities, and stories that these films bring to light. This year, we wanted to build a selection that reflects both the realities of the region and its capacity for cinematic innovation.”
With this 11th edition, the Cairo Film Connection reaffirms its role as a vital hub for Arab cinema, providing filmmakers with a space to develop their projects, strengthen regional and international co-productions, and encourage encounters between creative talents, producers, and industry professionals from around the world.
Neïla Driss
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