When & Where to Watch Cairo Intl Film Festival 2026’s Egyptian Films

The 47th edition of Cairo International Film Festival is taking over the city from November 11th to 20th, bringing together 145 films from 64 countries. Among them is a selection of Egyptian features, documentaries and restored classics, screening across several sections of the festival, including the International Competition, Horizons of Arab Cinema, Egyptian Panorama, Cairo Classics and Restored Egyptian Classics.

Screenings will take place at venues across Cairo, including the Hanager Cinema, Grand Hall and Small Theatre at Cairo Opera House, as well as VOX Cinemas at Mall of Egypt and Almaza Mall.

Here are the Egyptian films with confirmed screening times and venues at Cairo International Film Festival 2026 so far.

International Competition

‘BerleeN_’ (2026)

Directed by Egyptian filmmaker and photographer Ahmad Abdalla, 'BerleeN_' follows three Arab strangers over the course of a single day in Berlin, Germany. The film follows the strangers as they are drawn into a string of surreal encounters that force them into confronting the ghosts of their past. The film stars include Menna Shalabi, Yosra El Lozy, Mohamed Hatem, Fadwa Abed and Haydar Helo.

BerleeN_ premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Friday, November 13th, 2026 at 7 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing on Saturday, November 14th, 2026 at Zamalek Cinema 1 at 4:30 PM.

‘Al Baraneya’ (2026)

Directed by Ashgan El-Hamus, 'Al Baraneya' follows pregnant Amal as she lives with her family in Al Baraneya, a village right outside of Cairo. The film follows the chaotic yet affectionate nature of the family as it is disrupted when a landowner pressures them to sell their property, causing a rift in the family.

'Al Baraneya’s' MENA premiere takes place at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Thursday, November 12th, 2026 at 6:30 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing on Friday, November 13th, 2026 at 4 PM.

Special Screenings

‘Fatma Said and the Abdelwahab Plan’ (2026)

Directed by one of Germany’s leading directors of music and cultural films, Ralf Pleger, 'Fatma Said and the Abdelwahab Plan' follows acclaimed Egyptian soprano Fatma Said as she embarks on a passionate undertaking of preserving Mohamed Abdelwahab’s music with the aim of bringing his music to a global audience.

'Fatma Said and the Abdelwahab Plan' is set to premiere at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on November 12th, 2026 at 9:30 PM. It is also scheduled for two other showings, the first will be taking place on November 13th, 2026 at Cairo Opera House’s Hanager Theatre at 4:30 PM and the second will take place on November 14th, 2026 at Almaza Mall’s Vox Cinema (7) at 6 PM.

Feature Documentary Award & Special Screenings

‘The Lookalike’ (2026) Dir. Nehal Elkoussi

Directed by Egyptian director and producer Nehal Elkoussi, 'The Lookalike' follows how a random genetic coincidence-turned-unique profession impacts the lives of three Egyptians living in the shadows of their famous lookalikes.

'The Lookalike' premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Small Theatre on Monday, November 16th, 2026 at 8:30 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zamalek Cinema 1 on Tuesday, November 17th, 2026, at 9 PM.

Feature Documentary Award & Horizons of Arab Cinema

‘Your Daughter’ (2026) Dir. Sara Shazli

Directed by Egyptian filmmaker Sara Shazli, 'Your Daughter' traces Shazli’s history through her relationship with her mother, filmmaker and producer Marianne Khoury, niece of Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine. The feature documentary explores the sense of absence Shazli felt growing up as her mother pursued her career, as she prepares to become a mother herself. The film is produced by Marianne Khoury, with Julie Frères acting as co-producer.

'Your Daughter' premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Saturday, November 14th, 2026 at 7 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zamalek Cinema 1 on Monday, November 16th, 2026, at 7 PM.

Egyptian Panorama

‘A Date with Mama’ (2026)

Directed by Marianne Hanna and Christine Hanna, the short documentary film follows two sisters taking their mother on a small outing in hopes of offering her the same joy she experienced in youth. The film was developed and produced by Les Ateliers da Dahchour with the support of the French Embassy in Egypt and Institut Français d’Égypte.

'A Date With Mama' premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Thursday, November 19th, 2026 at 1 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zawya Cinema 1 on Friday, November 20th, 2026, at 4 PM.

‘A Short Ride’ (2026)

Directed by Mohammed Sakr, 'A Short Ride' follows a privileged student in post-revolutionary Cairo who gets kidnapped by his father’s newly-hired driver and an accomplice.

'A Short Ride' premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Thursday, November 19th, 2026 at 1 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zawya Cinema 1 on Friday, November 20th, 2026, at 4 PM.

‘Holiday in Teplice’ (2026)

Directed by Beshoy Kaldas and starring Sedky Sakhr, Shahr El Shater and Roman Izhboldin, 'Holiday in Teplice' follows Sameh as he arrives with his family for a vacation in a Czech resort town swarming with Arabic tourists, only for a creeping sense of absurdity to begin haunting their stay

'Holiday in Teplice' premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Thursday, November 19th, 2026 at 1 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zawya Cinema 1 on Friday, November 20th, 2026, at 4 PM.

‘Seaburn’ (2026)

Directed by Eman El Toukhy and starring Talie Walid and Ahmed Yehia, 'Seaburn' follows a 14-year-ld Leen as she works at a Red Sea resort’s diving centre with her father. A newly developed friendship with guests forces her and her grieving father to face a buried family loss.

'Seaburn' premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Thursday, November 19th, 2026 at 1 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zawya Cinema 1 on Friday, November 20th, 2026, at 4 PM.

‘Thanks, Bye, Love Ya!’ (2026)

Directed by Zeina Belasy, 'Thanks, Bye, Love Ya!' follows Yomna as she quietly plans to leave Egypt, a decision that she shares with no one but her sister Zeina. The short follows Yomna as she struggles with resurfaced memories of a past attempt and her parents’ painful reactions.

'Thanks, Bye, Love Ya!' premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Thursday, November 19th, 2026 at 1 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zawya Cinema 1 on Friday, November 20th, 2026, at 4 PM.

Short Film Competition

‘I Just Need a Minute!’ (2025)

Directed by Egyptian filmmaker Nadine El Banhawy, 'I Just Need a Minute!', starring Carol Akkad, follows Laila who lives in a home overflowing with a noisy family as she desperately searches for a quiet place to have a phone call with her therapist.

'I Just Need a Minute!’s' international premiere will take place at Cairo Opera House on Saturday, November 14th, 2026 at 4 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zawya Cinema 1 on Sunday, November 15th, 2026 at 5:30 PM.

‘Off Season’ (2026)

Directed and written by Egyptian filmmaker Zeina Ramy, the short graduation film 'Off Season' follows Mira as she attempts to support her estranged, fragile brother Mourad in their childhood vacation house and struggles due to their dysfunctional family.

'Off Season' premieres at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Sunday, November 15th, 2026 at 3 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zawya Cinema 1 on Monday, November 16th, 2026 at 7:30 PM.

‘The Day I Smoked a Cigarette with My Father’ (2026)

Directed by Sameh Alaa and Robin Vouters, the short animated film 'The Day I Smoked a Cigarette with My Father' follows 12-year-old Alaa in 1964 Cairo as he and his older siblings hear shouting outside, only to discover that the man returning home unexpectedly from prison is their father, Ibrahim.

'The Day I Smoked a Cigarette with My Father’s' Egyptian premiere will take place at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Wednesday, November 18th, 2026 at 3:30 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing on Thursday, November 19th, 2026 at Zawya Cinema 1 at 9 PM.

‘White Dot’ (2026)

Directed by Egyptian actor and filmmaker Amr Abed, 'White Dot' follows an 18-year-old during a theatre tour in Spain who loses his virginity to a local girl, triggering a clash between religious guilt and raw desire that test his sense of belonging.

'White Dot’s' premiere will take place at Cairo Opera House’s Grand Hall on Tuesday, November 17th, 2026 at 3:30 PM. It is also scheduled for another showing at Zawya Cinema 1 on Wednesday, November 18th, 2026 at 6:30 PM.