Cairo Film Festival Artistic Director Mohamed Tarek on Trusting Audiences: They ‘Are Often More Adventurous Than We Imagine’

For Mohamed Tarek, one of the biggest lessons from his first year as artistic director of the Cairo Intl. Film Festival came from an unexpected source – the audience. After drawing approximately 45,000 ticket sales last year, the festival is building on that response with an expanded program that challenges traditional screening hierarchies, introduces new initiatives for younger audiences and brings films to more venues across the Egyptian capital.

“The most important lesson was that audiences are often more adventurous than we imagine,” Tarek tells Variety as CIFF celebrates 50 years since its founding. The festival’s 47th edition runs Nov. 11–20.

One particularly revealing experience for Tarek was the enthusiastic reception for short films screened in the Cairo Opera House’s main theater, a venue traditionally associated with major premieres and feature competition titles.

“It challenged the assumption that certain kinds of cinema necessarily belong in smaller venues or are intended only for specialized audiences,” he explains.

That response has encouraged Tarek to give restored classics, short films and special screenings greater prominence this year, including at the festival’s major venues.

“What changed, fundamentally, was our confidence in the audience,” he says. “Instead of anticipating their limitations, we are trying to create more opportunities for discovery, surprise and engagement.”

The 2026 lineup comprises 145 films from 64 countries, selected from approximately 5,600 feature and short-film submissions. “The challenge with 5,600 submissions is to move beyond selecting individual films we admire and create a program in which different works can coexist, complement one another and sometimes challenge one another,” he explains.

The selection includes 17 world premieres and 87 Middle East and North Africa premieres. But for Tarek, securing premieres is only one consideration when selecting films. “I would always choose an exceptional film that has already travelled internationally over a weaker film whose main attraction is its premiere status,” he insists.

Elsewhere, new programming initiatives include Cairo Kids, a children’s film program curated by film critic and programmer Rasha Hosny. Featuring short and feature-length films, both animation and live-action, the program is designed for different age groups.

“We wanted to move beyond the assumption that children’s cinema is necessarily animation, or that all young viewers have the same interests and abilities,” Tarek notes.

CIFF is also doubling the size of its New Wave program that brings aspiring film professionals from across Egypt into the festival ecosystem. Following an inaugural edition with 50 participants, this year’s iteration has selected 100 from more than 850 applications. Seventy come from outside Cairo, representing 23 of the country’s 27 governorates, while women account for 55% of participants.

The program combines screenings, workshops, masterclasses and mentoring, while transportation and accommodation for participants traveling from outside the capital are underwritten by the festival. Its scope extends beyond filmmaking to criticism, programming and distribution.

“If New Wave helps talented young people imagine a future in cinema and gives them some of the tools and connections to pursue it, that would be a meaningful achievement,” Tarek adds.

The festival is also expanding its immersive XR offerings, while its Midnight Screenings and Midnight Classics sections pair contemporary films with older ones, exploring connections across generations of filmmaking.

“A restored classic, a short film, or an immersive experience can be just as significant to a viewer as a competition title,” Tarek argues. “Each deserves thoughtful programming and presentation.”

CIFF is also extending its reach beyond the Cairo Opera House, adding screenings at Zawya, an independent arthouse cinema, and Tahrir Cinema, a popular downtown venue.

Beyond the festival’s programming, Tarek sees encouraging developments in Arab cinema, particularly among filmmakers increasingly confident in telling personal stories without feeling obliged to represent an entire country or society. He cites three Egyptian films in this year’s lineup – Ahmad Abdalla’s “BerleeN_,” Ashgan El-Hamus’ “Al Baraneya” and Sara Shazli’s documentary “Your Daughter.”

Despite that creative momentum, Tarek acknowledges that financing, development and distribution remain major challenges for Arab filmmakers, particularly when it comes to reaching audiences in the region. “A film may travel successfully through international festivals and still struggle to reach audiences in its own country,” he observes.

As CIFF marks a half-century since its first edition, Tarek hopes to expand the festival’s activities beyond its annual November dates and eventually bring more of its programming to other Egyptian governorates.

“For me, the festival’s real influence should continue long after its final screening,” he concludes.