Cairo Film Festival marks 50 years with its 47th edition, 11 to 20 November

The Cairo International Film Festival turns 50 this month. Its 47th edition, from 11 to 20 November 2026, carries the anniversary title "Fifty years... of a story called Cairo", and the festival says the programme will look back at the films, names and moments that have passed through its screens since it began.

The festival started in 1976, when the writer and journalist Kamal El Mallakh turned an idea into the city's own international film event. Its first edition brought in 33 countries and about 100 films. Half a century later it is one of the oldest film festivals in the Arab world and Africa, and the only one in the region with the international "A" category accreditation it has long held.

This year's edition is led by the actor Hussein Fahmy, the festival's president. In a statement carried by FilFan he thanked El Mallakh and everyone who has run or worked on the festival, and said what pleases him most is seeing new generations find a place in it, by showing their films or joining its programmes.

Over the decades the festival has shown thousands of features, documentaries and short films and hosted visiting stars, directors and critics, with awards, tributes and talks that let Cairo audiences meet the people behind the films. Its industry side has grown too: Cairo Film Connection, its co-production platform, and the Cairo's XR programme for extended reality work, back for a second edition this year.

The opening film has already been named: I Play Rocky, Peter Farrelly's film about Sylvester Stallone's road to making Rocky.

The festival's website has not yet published this year's ticket prices, passes or the day-by-day schedule. Last year it reported 45,000 tickets sold, and the most wanted screenings went quickly once booking opened, so watch the festival's own website and its Instagram, cairofilms, in the coming days, and plan your evenings around the films you want before the week fills up.