The 46th Cairo International Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday night with a ceremony that blended spectacle and reflection.

The opening ceremony at Cairo Opera House had guests from across the Arab world and beyond walking the red carpet, as Egyptian stars Yousra, Lebleba, Mahmoud Hemida, Khaled El Nabawy and Ahmed El Sakka joined filmmakers and crew members in celebrating a new season for regional cinema.

Festival president, veteran Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy, opened the evening after the national anthem, framing the event as both a film celebration and a statement on Egypt’s cultural continuity.

Egyptian actor and president of Cairo International Film Festival Hussein Fahmy highlights the restoration of Egypt's Golden Age movies. AFP

Fahmy described the arts as part of the country’s enduring identity, “reshaping its present through the efforts of its own sons and daughters”.

Fahmy also used the occasion to link that creativity to Egypt’s broader human solidarity, citing national support for neighbouring Sudan and Lebanon in addition to its long-standing commitment to the Palestinian cause – most recently reflected, he noted, in Egypt’s hosting of Sharm El‑Sheikh peace summit for the signing of a ceasefire declaration between Israel and Gaza.

Fahmy further highlighted the festival’s ongoing film restoration initiative, a project that is being overseen by both the state and the private sector, which aims to res