45,000 Viewers for the 46th Cairo International Film Festival

The 46th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival concluded last night, with significant Palestinian attendance; the ceremony began with an authentic audio message from the late Palestinian girl Hind Rajab (6 years old), who was killed along with members of her family by Israeli army gunfire in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City on January 29, 2024, during a call she made with members of the Red Crescent who were trying to save her. The opening of the ceremony with Hind Rajab's voice was not only an introduction to the closing Tunisian film "The Voice of Hind Rajab" directed by Kawthar Ben Hania, which tells the same story, but also a confirmation of the festival's clear message of support for Palestine, which it has maintained for the second consecutive year due to what Gaza has suffered since October 7, 2023.

In his speech, festival president artist Hussein Fahmy stated: "The call you heard at first seems like a scene from a movie, but it is unfortunate and painful because it is real. It is the voice of the girl Hind Rajab, a Palestinian child from Gaza, who kept screaming and pleading for three hours after witnessing her family members being killed before her eyes by the occupation's gunfire. A child who had not yet turned six faced harsh moments that ended with her death, while the world looked the other way. The power of cinema lies in its ability to document and keep real stories alive and unforgotten, no matter how much some try to ignore or overlook them. Thus, Hind and her story and voice remain present, and the children who resemble her are not just numbers, but real human beings of flesh and blood.

The 46th edition featured 153 films from 55 countries from November 12 to 21, and the festival's artistic director, critic Mohamed Tarek, announced that it witnessed a large audience turnout, reaching 45,000 viewers, thanking the programmers who participated in selecting the films: Osama Abdel Fattah, Mohamed Nabil, Rami Metwally, Marwan Amara, Rasha Hosni, and Magy Murjan.

During the ceremony, the festival honored the Golden Pyramid Award for Lifetime Achievement to Chinese director Juan Ho, Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi, and cinematographer Mahmoud Abdel Samie.

The Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film, valued at $7,000, awarded to the producer, went to the British film "The Dragonfly" directed by Paul Andrew Williams, who dedicated the award to Egyptian national team and Liverpool player Mohamed Salah. The film's stars Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Andrew Williams jointly won the Best Actress award, while the Silver Pyramid Award for Best Director, valued at $5,000, went to directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser for the Palestinian film "What Was, Was in Gaza," which also saw its star Majd Eid win the Best Actor award for his role in the film. The same film won the Best Arab Feature Film award, valued at $10,000.

The Bronze Pyramid Award (Special Jury Prize), valued at $3,000, went to the Turkish film "While We Breathe" directed by Simos Alton, while the Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Screenplay went to the Turkish film "The Things That Kill It" directed by Ali Reza Khatami, which also won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) award, which went to the Turkish film "The Things That Kill It."

The Henry Barakat Award for Best Artistic Contribution was awarded to cinematographer Matthew Gio Mbini for the film "City of Sand" directed by Mahdi Hassan from Bangladesh.

The Youssef Sherif Rizkallah Award (Audience Award), valued at $15,000, went to the Egyptian-Palestinian film "Dail Ain Ard" directed by Mai Saad and Ahmed El-Danf, while the Best Documentary Film award went to the Lebanese film "Thuraya Habibi" directed by Nicola Khoury.

In the Arab Cinema Horizons competition, the Saadeddin Wahba Award for Best Arab Film, valued at $10,000, went to Lebanese director Sara Francis for the film "A Dog Lives Here," and the Salah Abu Seif Award (Special Jury Prize), valued at $8,000, went to the Saudi film "Against Cinema" directed by Ali Said, while Egyptian director Yasser Shafie won the Best Screenplay award, valued at $5,000, for the film "Complaint 713317," and the Best Acting Performance award, valued at $2,000, went to Tunisian actress Afaf Ben Mahmoud for the film "Round 13."

In the International Critics' Week competition, the Palestinian film "My Love Hussein" won the Shadi Abdel Salam Award for Best Film, which is awarded to the director, and the German film "In My Father's House" directed by Tim Elrich won the Fathi Farag Award (Special Jury Prize), while the jury gave a special mention to the Chinese film "Plant World" directed by Jing Yi, which also won the Best Asian Feature Film award (Netpac).

In the Short Film competition, the Youssef Shahin Award for Best Short Film, valued at $5,000, went to the film "Cairo Streets" directed by Abdullah Al-Tai, and the Best Arab Short Film award, valued at $2,000, went to the Lebanese film "Teta and Teta" directed by Lynn Al-Safah, while the Japanese film "Very Upright Neck" directed by Niu Sora won the Special Jury Prize, valued at $3,000.