The Cairo International Film Festival announced honoring actor Khaled El Nabawy with the Faten Hamama Excellence Award at its 46th edition, held from November 12 to 21, 2025. This recognition celebrates his prolific career spanning over 35 years, during which he portrayed unforgettable roles.

The announcement was made during the festival’s press conference held on Sunday noon, attended by star Mahmoud Hemida, producer Mohamed El Adl, screenwriter Abdel Rahim Kamal, Layla Elwi, Loubna, Basma, actor Ahmed Magdy, producer Hesham Suleiman, media personalities Reham Ibrahim and critic Tarek El Shenawy, and media figure Jasmine Taha Zaki.

Khaled El Nabawy

He is considered one of the most prominent stars of his generation and among the most aware of art as a cultural and humanitarian message that transcends local boundaries. He began his career in the late 1980s with careful steps in cinema and television, quickly attracting attention with his multifaceted talent and ability to build characters from within, through subtle psychological features and a voice balancing strength and calm.

El Nabawy graduated from the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts in 1989, the same year his first film “Laylat ‘Asal” (Honeymoon) was released, directed by Mohamed Abdel Aziz. This was followed by “Al-Mowaten Masry” (The Egyptian Citizen) with another great director, Salah Abu Seif, until his major cinematic breakthrough came with the film “Al-Mohager” (The Emigrant) in 1994 with Youssef Chahine, which marked a turning point in his career and opened international doors for him.

He then starred in a series of films that established him as one of the most present faces in modern Egyptian cinema, including “Al-Maseer” (Destiny), “Omar 2000”, “Al-Dealer”, and “Al-Mosafir” (The Traveler). These works paved the way for his participation in prominent Hollywood productions such as Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven”, “Fair Game” alongside Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, and “The Citizen”, which was his lead role and participated in several international festivals.

Alongside this distinguished cinematic journey, El Nabawy has a parallel successful television career spanning over 35 years, from his early prominence in “Bawwabat Al-Helwany” to “Imbratoriyat M”. He also had a notable presence in theater, both locally with “Al-Ganzir” and internationally with “Camp David”, where he portrayed the late President Anwar Sadat on the Arena Stage in Washington.

Cairo International Film Festival

One of the oldest festivals in the Arab world and Africa, and the only one in the region holding the “A” category classification from the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in Paris. The festival was established in 1976 and is held annually under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.