Cairo International Film Festival announces opening applications for the “Short Series Script Development” workshop, in collaboration with SARD, as part of Cairo Industry Days activities, during its 47th edition scheduled to take place from November 11 to 20, 2026.
This workshop reflects the festival’s commitment to supporting Egyptian screenwriters and content creators, providing specialized opportunities to develop drama projects and enhance their readiness to enter the audiovisual content industry market, through a practical program focusing on the dramatic, structural, and creative aspects of the selected projects.
The workshop targets writers who are already working on developing short series projects and seeking to enhance their ideas, develop dramatic structure and characters, and formulate a comprehensive vision for their projects. It also aims to help participants prepare professional pitch decks that allow them to present their projects to producers, production companies, television channels, digital platforms, and other entities working in the content industry.
Through development sessions and specialized discussions, participants will work on developing the essential elements of their projects, starting from the logline and general synopsis, through building main characters, and reaching a complete treatment that reflects the project’s dramatic vision and supports its development and production opportunities.
The workshop is led by several script development specialists from the SARD team, relying on their expertise in developing drama projects, with the aim of helping writers bring their projects to a more mature, integrated stage ready for submission to active entities in the industry market.
The workshop takes place as part of Cairo Industry Days. Applicants must be Egyptian nationals or residents of Egypt, aged 18 or older at the time of application, with prior writing experience through at least one short film, feature film, or series, and have a short series project in development, ready to work on within an intensive development program. Accepted participants are required to attend all workshop sessions and related programs.
You may apply individually or as part of a writing team of two, provided that all team members are actively involved in the project’s development, and that the necessary approvals and legal rights to submit and develop the materials are available. Any materials adapted from previous works or protected by intellectual property rights must be clearly disclosed, providing proof of possessing the necessary rights for adaptation and development, where applicable.
Applications, required data submission, and attaching necessary materials are processed through a dedicated form on the official website of Cairo International Film Festival. The deadline for applying is October 14, 2026.
About Cairo International Film Festival
Founded in 1976, Cairo International Film Festival is one of the oldest film festivals in the Arab world and Africa. It is the only Arab and African festival accredited as a Category « A » festival by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). Held annually under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, it has solidified its position throughout its history as a major platform for Egyptian, Arab, and international cinema, combining film screenings with cultural dialogue, and supporting the film industry’s development and the discovery of new talents and projects.
About SARD
SARD is a specialized entity in developing scripts and drama projects, working to support writers and content creators through development and mentorship programs, aiming to enhance the quality of narrative projects and help them reach advanced stages of development and readiness for production.
