The first edition of the BRICS International Student Film Festival officially opened yesterday in Cairo under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the Academy of Arts, headed by Dr. Mona El-Sabban. The event is being held at Tharwat Okasha Hall at the Academy of Arts and will continue until May 14.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Nabila Hassan, President of the Academy of Arts, director Omar Abdel Aziz, head of the Federation of Artistic Syndicates, Dr. Ahmed Saleh, Chairman of the National Cinema Center, as well as ambassadors from BRICS countries and directors of several foreign cultural centers. Media figure Rabab El-Sherif hosted the ceremony.
In her speech, Dr. Mona El-Sabban described the festival as the first of its kind worldwide dedicated to student films within BRICS countries, emphasizing cinema’s role as a powerful tool for expression and a bridge for intercultural dialogue that allows young creativity to meet future visions.
She revealed that the festival received 135 films from BRICS nations, including 76 from Egypt, 18 from Russia, 13 from China, 12 from India, 8 from Indonesia, 4 from Thailand, and 2 films each from Brazil and South Africa.
El-Sabban stressed that supporting student cinema is an investment in the future of art itself, adding that nurturing young talents contributes to creating a richer and more diverse cinematic landscape.
For her part, Dr. Nabila Hassan expressed hopes of expanding the festival in the future beyond cinema to include all forms of arts from BRICS countries, transforming it into a major cultural celebration that brings together the creativity of different peoples and promotes continuous cultural exchange.
Ambassador Ezzat Saad, Executive Director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, stated that the festival carries special significance as it strengthens the soft power ties among BRICS nations and enhances cultural communication between their peoples.
Sherif Gad, Director of Cultural Activities at the Russian Cultural Center in Cairo, noted that Russia ranked second after Egypt with 18 participating films, reflecting young filmmakers’ desire to engage with other cultures and promote artistic openness.
Gad added that the BRICS Festival serves as an open platform for cultural and humanitarian dialogue among young creators, بعيد from attempts of cultural dominance or politicizing art for non-cultural purposes.
The ceremony also honored several presidents of Egyptian film festivals in recognition of their efforts to preserve the aesthetics of cinema and support the film industry.
The opening concluded with the screening of the documentary film “Nabt El Ard” directed by Mohamed Hamed Salama, winner of the Best Short Film award at the 2025 International Documentary Film Festival in Portugal.
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