Tunisian Films "Promis le ciel" by Erige Sehiri and "Somewhere I belong" by Youssef Handouse Selected for the 15th Edition of the African Film Festival in Luxor, Egypt
The 15th edition of the African Film Festival in Luxor, Egypt, will take place from March 29 to April 4, 2026, and will feature two Tunisian films in the official competition: "Promis le ciel" by Erige Sehiri and "Somewhere I belong" by Youssef Handouse.
"Promis le ciel" will compete in the feature film category, alongside over ten films from different African countries, including award-winning films such as "The stories" by Abu Bakr Shawky, which won the Golden Tanit award at the Carthage Film Festival (JCC) in 2025, and the Nigerian film "My father's shadow" by Akinola Davies Jr., which won the Silver Tanit award in the same competition.
It's worth noting that "Promis le ciel" has already won several prestigious awards, including the Grand Prix and the Golden Star at the 22nd Marrakech International Film Festival (November 28 - December 6, 2025), and the Critics' Award at the 25th edition of the Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival (Cinemamed), which is awarded by the Union of Film Critics (UCC) and the Union of Belgian Film Press (UPCB) to recognize a film's artistic quality, direction, or critical approach.
The short film "Somewhere I belong", written and directed by Youssef Handouse, is among a selection of fifteen African films and features Nizar Ben Belgacem, Mounir Mabrouk, Abdelatif Bouallag, and Elias Ghazouani.
This edition of the festival will also launch the "Daoud Abdel-Sayed Award for Auteur Cinema", in tribute to the contributions of the late director to the concept of auteur cinema and its role in developing Egyptian and Arab cinematic language. The competition is open until February 26, and offers a prize of 50,000 Egyptian pounds to support emerging talents among Egyptian and African screenwriters and directors residing in Egypt.
This edition is dedicated to the renowned Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, on the occasion of the centenary of his birth (January 25, 1926 - 2026).
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