The Cairo International Film Festival announced honoring director Mohamed Abdel Aziz with the Golden Pyramid for Lifetime Achievement at its 46th edition, held from November 12 to 21, 2025. This recognition celebrates his extensive cinematic career as one of the most prominent Egyptian film directors, spanning over fifty years.

The announcement was made during the festival’s press conference held on Sunday afternoon.

Mohamed Abdel Aziz

Mohamed Abdel Aziz is considered one of the most distinguished names in the history of Egyptian film directing. He began his artistic career in the mid-1960s as an assistant director in important films such as “Cairo 30” (1966), “My Father Up the Tree” (1969), “We Do Not Plant Thorns” (1970), and “Chatter on the Nile” (1971). He then launched his career as a professional director in the early 1970s, debuting with the film “Forbidden Pictures” (1972), one of the last black-and-white films in Egyptian cinema history.

Mohamed Abdel Aziz is known for a distinctive directorial vision and an artistic style that combines realism with social comedy, making him a pivotal figure in revitalizing this cinematic genre through successful films such as “In Summer We Must Love” (1974), “The World of Kids” (1976), and “A Thousand Kisses” (1977). He also had a long collaboration with Adel Imam in famous films including “Some Go to the Marriage Registrar Twice” (1978), “Watch Out for Your Neighbors” (1979), and “Hanfi Al-Ahbha” (1990).

Considered by some as the successor to pioneer director Fatin Abdel Wahab in comedy films, Abdel Aziz did not limit himself to this genre but also directed important dramatic films such as “Attention Gentlemen” (1978) and “Judgment is the Last Session” (1985). He was known for his high attention to detail and was nicknamed “The Dictator” among his colleagues for his strictness in producing precise and well-crafted work.

Alongside his film work, he excelled in theater with plays like “Mohamed Ali Street” and “Afroto,” and left his mark on television drama with series such as “Honey Day, Onion Day” and “Abu Dhekka Janan,” which portrayed the life story of artist Ismail Yassin.

Besides being a director, Mohamed Abdel Aziz worked for many years as a professor at the Higher Institute of Cinema, mentoring many directors and actors, thus strengthening his role in shaping the new generation of Egyptian cinema artists. His artistic family extends to being the father of actor Karim Abdel Aziz and brother of director Omar Abdel Aziz.

Cairo International Film Festival

The Cairo International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious festivals in the Arab world and Africa, and the only one in the region to hold the “Category A” 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.