19/08/2026
Luxor African Film Festival Opens Film Submissions for its 16th Edition
• The festival kicks off on March 28 and runs until April 3, 2027
• A new edition of the Luxor Festival under the honorary presidency of the acclaimed star Mahmoud Hemida, honoring the late Egyptian composer Hany Shenouda and the late Cameroonian filmmaker Bassek Ba Kobhio
Scriptwriter Sayed Fouad, Founder and President of the Luxor African Film Festival, announced that the festival has launched the film submission form for its four main competitions: the Long Film Competition (narrative, documentary, and animation) for films exceeding 60 minutes; the Short Film Competition (documentary / narrative / animation), with films in both competitions required to be by African directors; the Diaspora Film Competition for long narrative or documentary films, dedicated to African directors living outside the continent who make films about Africa through a global lens; and the Upper Egypt Film Competition for directors from the governorates of Qena and Luxor.
In its upcoming edition, the festival also honors the late composer Hany Shenouda in recognition of his career in film scoring; his work marked a turning point in Egyptian film music by introducing a musical form based on blending the oriental spirit with Western arrangements, which clearly appeared in prominent films such as "The Suspect" (Al-Mashbouh), "The Street Player" (Al-Harreef), "Hamada and Toto Gang" ('Esabet Hamada we Toto), and "Shams El-Zanati".
The festival also honors the memory of the late Cameroonian director and writer Bassek Ba Kobhio, in appreciation of his impact as one of the most prominent voices and pioneers of African cinema, and the founder of the "Écrans Noirs" (Black Screens) festival, which has remained for decades a defining platform for embracing and supporting cinematic creativity across the continent.
Azza Elhosseiny, Founder and Director of the Luxor African Film Festival, stated: "We saw well executed films in the Upper Egypt Film Competition during the last edition, and based on the festival's objectives, we will organize a workshop aimed at all those interested in zero-budget short filmmaking, targeting the youth of Luxor and Qena governorates several months before the festival kicks off, with the aim of raising their skills and giving them the opportunity to become part of the Egyptian and African cinematic map. This initiative is not limited to providing cinema arts workshops, but also includes opening submissions for a dedicated film competition for Luxor and Qena governorates, whose jury will include members from the two governorates themselves. This is in addition to the continuation of the 'Daoud Abdel Sayed' Screenplay Competition, which represents one of the festival's important initiatives in discovering new talents because it gives young writers a real opportunity to access the cinema industry. The competition aims to search for new voices and talents in screenwriting, supporting them and opening the way for them to present new ideas and writings that enrich Egyptian and African cinema and contribute to creating a new generation of its makers."
She added: "The festival management had previously announced that the upcoming 16th edition will honor the great Moroccan composer Abdelwahab Doukkali, in appreciation of his prominent contributions to Arab and African cinema through his vocal and musical works that have become part of the artistic memory. It will also shed light on East African cinema, given the remarkable development it has witnessed since the beginning of the third millennium to this day, in terms of production and quality, especially in countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia. These cinemas have succeeded in presenting experiences that reflect their social and cultural reality, with growing interest in issues of identity, women, and political and social transformations, along with a clear development in production techniques and methods, which has contributed to enhancing their presence in international festivals in recent years."
The festival management also announced that the 16th edition will be held from March 28 to April 3, 2027, in the city of Luxor, southern Egypt. Submissions will open on the festival website on August 21 and continue until December 15, 2026, provided that all submitted films are produced in 2026 and have not been previously screened in Egypt.
The Luxor African Film Festival has the acclaimed star Mahmoud Hemida as the Honorary President of its upcoming edition, and is organized by the Independent Shabab Foundation for Support and Development, a non-profit civil organization. The festival is held in partnership with the Egyptian Ministries of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Youth and Sports, and Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with Luxor Governorate, and sponsored by the Cinematic Professions Syndicate, Hadoota, Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge, and Commercial International Bank (CIB).
