Cairo International Film Festival

The Cairo International Film Festival, or CIFF, is the oldest and only A-list film festival in Africa and the Arab world. Founded in 1976 by the critic Kamal el-Mallakh and the Egyptian Film Critics Society, its mission is to put Arab cinema in dialogue with international auteur films. Over eleven days in November some 150 films from more than 60 countries screen at the Cairo Opera House and neighbouring cinemas. The main award is the Golden Pyramid for best feature, with further sections honouring Arab and African cinema as well as talent programmes for young filmmakers. If you are in Cairo in November, tickets are easily booked online and Gezira island fills with festival energy.