Port Said Film Festival Regulations
Article 1: Festival Identity and Objectives
The Port Said Film Festival is an annual festival held in Port Said Governorate, Arab Republic of Egypt. It aims to:
Showcase distinctive cinematic films.
Support independent cinema.
Foster cinematic culture and talent in Port Said.
Support artists and talented individuals.
Promote international artistic and cultural exchange.
Provide a platform for filmmakers to connect and exchange ideas.
Boost tourism and promote the city of Port Said.
Contribute to the development of the Egyptian film industry.
Article 2: Festival Organization
The festival is organized by the “Port Said Association for Theatrical and Cultural Arts,” with the approval of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture (Supreme Committee for Festivals), and in coordination with relevant entities within and outside Port Said Governorate. Film critic Ahmed Asser serves as the Festival’s Chairman and Founder.
The festival may engage specialized companies for organizing its screenings and activities, and may also solicit male and female volunteers to assist in its management operations.
Article 3: Date of the First Edition of the Festival
The First Edition of the Festival will be held from September 18 to September 22, 2025.
Article 4: Festival Sections and Competitions
Independent Feature Film Competition.
Short Narrative Film Competition.
Short Documentary Film Competition.
Animation Film Competition.
Student Film Competition.
Out-of-Competition Films (accepted from all over the world).
The Festival Management reserves the right to add or remove any sections and competitions in future editions.
Article 5: Film Eligibility for Submission
Short Film Competitions (Narrative / Documentary / Animation / Student): Film duration must not exceed 30 minutes, including credits.
Student Films: The producer(s) or director(s) must be enrolled as a student at an educational institution up to university level.
Independent Feature Film Competition: Film duration must be no less than 60 minutes, including credits, and must be self-produced, produced by a startup company, or a co-production between them.
Films shot with mobile phones and any type of camera are permitted.
Films must be produced in the year of the festival’s edition or the preceding year only.
The film must not have been screened on television, any internet network, online platform, or had any commercial or non-commercial public exhibition prior to the end date of the festival.
The producer(s) or director(s) must be from one of the three continents (Africa – Asia – Europe).
For out-of-competition sections, films from all countries worldwide are accepted and screened.
Article 6: Film Submission
Films must be submitted in their original language. If the film is not in Arabic, an English subtitle file (SRT, SUB, or TXT) must be provided along with the film file.
The submission must include the film’s link and password (if applicable), logline, film poster in various sizes, behind-the-scenes photos, director’s photo and bio, film synopsis, and all required data as specified on the submission form or platform.
The film submitter affirms the accuracy of all provided data, holds the ownership and right to submit the film, and acknowledges that the festival is not responsible for any disputes concerning the film with third parties.
The deadline for film submission is as specified on the festival’s official website: www.portsaid-iff.com.
Applicants will receive an email regarding the acceptance or rejection of their film.
Film submissions are made through the festival’s official website.
Sales agents and distributors, both from Egypt and internationally, may submit films by contacting management@portsaid-iff.com.
Article 7: Film Selection
The Festival’s Film Selection Committee reviews submissions and selects films for each section or competition.
The selection process is based on artistic merit, originality, relevance to the festival’s nature, and the technical quality of the film’s image and sound.
The festival reserves the right to reject any film without providing reasons.
Article 8: Juries
Each competition will have its own dedicated jury.
Each jury will consist of three members.
Jury members are not restricted by gender or specific nationality.
The festival reserves the sole right to select jury members, ensuring they have no connection to the films participating in the festival, in adherence to the principle of “conflict of interest.”
Article 9: Awards
For each of the Feature, Short, Animation, Documentary, and Student Film Competitions:
Golden and Silver Lighthouse Awards for the two best films in the Independent Feature Film Competition.
Golden and Silver Lighthouse Awards for the two best films in the Short Narrative Film Competition.
Golden and Silver Lighthouse Awards for the two best films in the Short Documentary Film Competition.
Golden and Silver Lighthouse Awards for the two best films in the Animation Film Competition.
Golden and Silver Lighthouse Awards for the two best films in the Student Film Competition.
Best Actor Award (for narrative films only).
Best Actress Award (for narrative films only).
Four Certificates of Appreciation, awarded as jury commendations, with one certificate per competition.
Awards will be received by the film’s producer(s), director(s), or their representative.
Each competition’s jury determines the winners based on pre-defined artistic criteria.
Additional awards or special mentions may be granted at the festival’s discretion.
The Port Said Film Festival welcomes the Governorate General Office, institutions, companies, associations, or any entity of social, cultural, or artistic value, to present an award in their name at the festival, whether monetary or logistical, in support of the societal role of all legal entities in Egypt. The festival reserves the right to accept or reject any such award if it does not align with the festival’s vision and objectives.
Article 10: Film Screening Conditions
Withdrawal of a film from the festival after its acceptance is not permitted.
No film will be screened until it has been approved by the Egyptian Central Administration for Artistic Works Censorship, facilitated by the Festival Management.
The festival is committed to determining the age rating for each film in accordance with the directives of the Egyptian Central Administration for Artistic Works Censorship.
A maximum of 5 screenings per film is allowed during the festival.
The festival reserves the right to retain films for its archive, provided they are only screened in accordance with the rules and conditions stipulated in the festival regulations.
The festival may use excerpts (up to 3 minutes) for promotional purposes.
Article 11: Festival Participation
Participating filmmakers are encouraged to attend the festival but are not obliged to do so.
Filmmakers may be invited to attend the festival and participate in its activities.
Filmmakers retain full intellectual property rights to their films.
Article 12: Festival Activities
The festival may organize various film screenings and artistic and cultural activities, both indoors in different halls and theaters across Port Said, and outdoors in public squares and on beaches.
Post-screening seminars may be held with filmmakers for work discussion and interactive dialogue with the audience.
The festival may organize lectures on cinematic appreciation delivered by film criticism professors.
The festival may organize workshops on filmmaking skills.
The festival may organize tourist tours in Port Said and Port Fouad to introduce the city’s history.
Article 13: Honorees
The festival will honor an artist from Port Said of significant artistic and cultural value.
The festival will honor three local or regional artists of significant artistic and cultural value.
The festival reserves the right to honor prominent figures whose effective participation is related to the festival’s sidelines.
Article 14: Guest of Honor
In each edition, the festival has the honor of selecting a country or regional entity as its Guest of Honor, inviting it to showcase its cinematic and cultural arts in Port Said.
Article 15: Legal Policy
Submitting films and participating in the festival signifies the submitter’s agreement to, and commitment to, the festival’s rules and conditions, and an affirmation of the accuracy of all provided data.
The festival is not responsible in any way for any damages or losses of any kind that may be incurred by the film submitter, or any of its creators or stars, as a result of the film’s submission or screening at the festival.
The Port Said Film Festival reserves the right to change these terms and conditions without prior notice.
Any disputes arising – God forbid – regarding the festival or participating films will be resolved through negotiation or mediation.
Should no resolution be reached, any disagreements or disputes – God forbid – shall be subject to Egyptian law and the courts of Port Said Governorate.
Article 16: Partnerships and Sponsorship
The festival welcomes collaboration and sponsorship offer from various entities and local companies.
For any inquiries, contact us at
- management@portsaid-iff.com
