✨ Bardiya prepares for its third edition
The Bardiya Film Festival is preparing for its third edition, continuing its focus on short films, emerging filmmakers and new forms of cinematic expression.
The upcoming edition will carry the name of late Egyptian actor Khaled Saleh and will take place from October 10 to 16, 2026, at the Russian Cultural Center in Cairo.
🎬 The festival is expected to bring together filmmakers, actors, academics and cinema professionals through a programme combining competitions, screenings and cultural activities.
The jury will be headed by director Magdy Abu Omaira, alongside actor Mohsen Sobhy, Dr. Laila El-Maghraby, professor of the history and sciences of costume in drama, cinema and theater at the Academy of Arts, Palestinian director Fayek Gerada, and Moroccan actress Samira Houari.
🏆 Magdy Abu Omaira heads the jury
The appointment of Magdy Abu Omaira as jury president adds significant directing and television experience to the third edition.
The jury also brings together professionals from acting, visual studies, directing and Arab cinema, creating a broad perspective for evaluating the participating films.
🎭 The international and Arab composition of the jury also reflects Bardiya's growing interest in connecting Egyptian filmmaking with wider regional cinema communities.
🖤 The third edition honors Khaled Saleh
The third edition is dedicated to the memory of celebrated Egyptian actor Khaled Saleh.
Saleh was known for his ability to portray a wide range of complex characters across Egyptian cinema and television.
🎬 Naming the festival edition after him creates a connection between the emerging filmmakers participating in the competitions and the legacy of an actor whose performances remain part of Egyptian popular culture.
The tribute also continues Bardiya's tradition of dedicating editions to major figures in Egyptian cinema.
🎥 Three competitions
The third edition introduces a broader competition structure with three main categories.
⚡ Flash Cinema Competition
The first category is dedicated to films that do not exceed five minutes.
This competition reflects Bardiya's original identity as a festival focused on very short cinema.
⏱️ The limited duration challenges filmmakers to develop a complete cinematic idea within a highly restricted timeframe.
🎬 General Competition
The second category is the General Competition, accepting films of up to 30 minutes, including opening and closing credits.
Awards will recognize several filmmaking disciplines, including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Actor.
🏆 This category gives filmmakers greater space to develop characters, narrative structure and visual storytelling.
🤖 AI Film Competition
One of the most notable additions is a dedicated competition for AI films.
The category reflects the growing role of artificial intelligence in filmmaking, visual production, animation, image generation and other creative processes.
💡 By including AI filmmaking within its official competition structure, Bardiya is opening its programme to emerging cinematic technologies.
📌 Film eligibility requirements
Among the festival's general requirements is that participating films must not have previously been released on social media platforms.
The condition helps preserve the festival environment as a professional screening and discovery platform.
🎞️ Additional rules apply to the different competition categories according to their individual formats and requirements.
🇷🇺 Partnership with the Russian Cultural Center
The third edition will be hosted at the Russian Cultural Center in Cairo, following a cooperation agreement involving Dr. Vadim Zaitchikov, director of Russian cultural centers in Egypt, and Dr. Sherif Gad, director of cultural activities at the center.
The partnership also connects the upcoming edition with Bardiya's earlier relationship with the Russian Cultural Center, which hosted events during the festival's first edition.
🤝 The venue provides an additional cultural dimension to a festival that has sought to connect Egyptian filmmakers with wider international and Arab cultural communities.
🎞️ Bardiya's first two editions
Bardiya's third edition follows two previous editions dedicated to influential figures in Egyptian cinema.
The first edition was dedicated to legendary director Atef El-Tayeb and headed by screenwriter Abdel Rahim Kamal. Actress Sawsan Badr was the opening guest of honor, while Lobna attended the closing ceremony. The edition also honored several figures from different areas of filmmaking and featured Palestine as an honorary guest.
🎥 The festival originally emphasized five-minute films and aimed to create opportunities for emerging filmmakers.
The second edition was dedicated to legendary screenwriter Wahid Hamed and included a range of film and cultural activities, as well as tributes to artists and cinema professionals. A special publication about Hamed was also released as part of the edition.
🌟 From flash cinema to AI filmmaking
Bardiya's development is particularly notable because the festival began with a focused concept: five-minute cinema.
The third edition expands this identity by offering three different paths for filmmakers: extremely short films, films up to 30 minutes, and AI-generated filmmaking.
🎬 This structure allows the festival to bring together filmmakers working with very different storytelling formats and production methods.
💬 A platform for emerging filmmakers
Short-film festivals can provide an important entry point for emerging directors, screenwriters and actors.
A short film can serve as a filmmaker's introduction to audiences and industry professionals, while festival screenings can create opportunities for networking and future projects.
🎯 Bardiya's continued focus on short cinema therefore gives new filmmakers a dedicated space outside the requirements of mainstream commercial production.
🔥 Between cinematic memory and new technology
The third edition brings together two very different sides of filmmaking.
🖤 The name of Khaled Saleh represents a connection to the legacy of Egyptian acting and cinema.
🤖 The new AI competition represents the changing technological landscape of visual storytelling.
Between cinematic memory and emerging technology, the third Bardiya Film Festival is preparing for seven days of activities from October 10 to 16, 2026, with Magdy Abu Omaira leading the jury and three main competition categories.
