CIFF Will Honour Egyptian Cinematographer Saeed Shimi

Egyptian cinematographer Saeed El Shimi will receive the Golden Pyramid Lifetime Achievement Award at the 47th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), taking place from November 11th to 20th, 2026. Announced at the festival’s press conference on October 11th, the honour recognises a career spanning more than five decades and a lasting contribution to the visual language of Egyptian cinema.

Born in Cairo’s Abdeen district in 1943, Shimi graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema in 1971 and went on to work on more than 100 feature films, alongside documentaries and short films. His collaborations with some of Egyptian cinema’s defining directors include Mohamed Khan’s A Bird on the Road and The Street Player, as well as Atef El Tayeb’s The Bus Driver, The Innocent and Against the System. His cinematography became closely associated with the Egyptian New Realism movement, which turned its attention to everyday life and the social realities shaping ordinary Egyptians.

Shimi also carved out a distinctive place in Egyptian film history through his work in underwater cinematography, becoming one of the country’s pioneers in the field. His underwater sequences feature in films including Underwater Hell, Devil’s Island and The Road to Eilat, combining technical experimentation with the demands of shooting in challenging aquatic environments.

Beyond the set, Shimi has taught cinematography and authored books on the craft, including The Magic of Colours: From Canvas to Screen and My Experience with the Cinematic Image. In 2024, he received Egypt’s State Appreciation Award in Arts, recognising his contributions to the country’s cultural and cinematic landscape.