Egypt wins Best Pavilion Design at Cannes Film Festival - Screens - Arts & Culture

Al-Ahram Weekly

20-05-2025

Egypt has taken home the Best Pavilion Design Award at this year's Cannes Film Market (Marché du Film), edging out 18 other national pavilions in the festival's International Village.
The award, now in its fourth year, recognizes the most outstanding pavilion in terms of creativity, design, programming, and visitor engagement.
This year's jury praised the Egyptian pavilion for its 'historical presence and the thoughtful integration of a small movie theatre into the design to share the story of Egyptian cinema.'
The 2025 jury included Yi Chou, a Cannes Makers alumni, Brazilian film critic Elaine Guerini, and Leticia Godinho, deputy director of business at Series Mania.
Jointly organized by the Cairo International Film Festival, El Gouna Film Festival and the Egyptian Film Commission (EFC), the pavilion was designed by Sherine Farghal, an Egyptian art director known for fusing traditional set design with modern virtual techniques.
Farghal transformed the space into a small cinema, where visitors could watch a curated reel tracing the legacy of Egyptian cinema.
On either side of the screen, mirrored walls reflected moving images to create an immersive experience.
The video included scenes from iconic Egyptian films such as Youssef Chahine's Bab Al-Hadid and Al-Mohager, Radwan El-Kashef's A'raq Al-Balah, Shady Abdelsalam's Al-Mummia, Kamal El-Sheikh's Gharam Fi Al-Karnak and Hayah Aw Mout, and Henry Barakat's Chattei' Al-Gharam.
The reel was adapted from a larger installation titled Egyptian Cities Embracing Cinema, first presented at the 7th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival in October 2024.
Conceived by Marina Ibrahim and also designed by Farghal, the project highlighted the role of Egyptian cities not merely as backdrops but as living, breathing characters in the country's cinematic history.
'We wanted the world to see Egypt through the eyes of great filmmakers – where rich heritage meets pulsating modernity full of creativity,' Farghal said.
Egypt's pavilion was selected from among entries representing a broad mix of countries and institutions, including Morocco, Tunisia, China, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Ireland, Greece, Germany, Canada (Telefilm), the UK, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Israel and L'Institut Français.
The pavilions of Iraq, Estonia, and the UK were particularly praised for their distinct designs and welcoming presence.
Throughout the festival, the Egyptian pavilion hosted a series of events, including panels, presentations, and workshops to promote the country as a hub for international film production and boost cinematic partnerships.
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