Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced that acclaimed Egyptian screenwriter and poet Medhat El Adl will receive the Golden Pyramid Lifetime Achievement Award at its 47th edition, taking place from 11 to 20 November 2026. The honor recognizes his distinguished creative career and outstanding contributions to Egyptian cinema through works that have resonated with audiences and helped launch a generation of stars.
The announcement was made during the festival’s press conference, held at noon today, 11 October, at Sofitel Cairo Downtown Nile.
Medhat El Adl is widely regarded as one of the leading screenwriters in Egypt and the Arab world, with a multifaceted career spanning screenwriting for film and television, as well as songwriting and poetry. His cinematic journey began in 1992 with Ice Cream in Gleam, directed by Khairy Beshara, for which he contributed to the screenplay, dialogue, and song lyrics. Over more than three decades, he has continued to build a distinguished body of work characterized by diverse themes, characters, and artistic approaches.
El Adl has written several notable films, including America Shika Bika, An Upper Egyptian at the American University, Hammam in Amsterdam, Shorts, T-Shirt and Cap, and Mafia. These works reflect his interest in the aspirations of young people, questions of migration and identity, and the pursuit of opportunities, combining comedy, adventure, and music in stories that resonate with audiences. His writing helped establish the careers of some of Egyptian cinema’s most prominent stars and contributed to the wave of youth-oriented films that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
His creative career also extends to television drama, where he has written works exploring the transformations of Egyptian society, its history, and human relationships. His notable television productions include Mahmoud El Masry, Al Andaleeb: A Nation’s Story, The Back Streets, Al Daeya, The Jewish Quarter, and For the Highest Price. These productions span biographical, social, and historical drama, demonstrating his interest in character development and the ways individual destinies intersect with their social and human environments.
Alongside screenwriting, El Adl has made a significant contribution to songwriting and poetry, writing lyrics for some of the Arab world’s most celebrated singers, including Amr Diab and Mohamed Fouad. He also wrote the lyrics for The Arab Dream, a musical operetta that brought together voices from across the Arab world. He published the poetry collection Raseef Nemra 5 (Sidewalk No. 5), which brings together poems and song lyrics from his creative journey, reflecting the close relationship between poetry, music, and storytelling throughout his career.
El Adl’s contributions also extend to film and television production through his involvement in establishing El Adl Group in 1997. The production company played a significant role in revitalizing Egyptian cinema and supporting the emergence of a new generation of stars and behind-the-camera talent. It produced notable films including An Upper Egyptian at the American University, Hammam in Amsterdam, Shorts, T-Shirt and Cap, and Mafia, before expanding into television drama with productions such as Morning and Evening Talk, Raya and Sakina, and Women’s Prison. This production experience complements his career as a writer, contributing to the creation of an environment in which creative ideas and screenplays can be transformed into productions that reach wide audiences.
Cairo International Film Festival is one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the Arab world and Africa. It is accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as an international competitive film festival. Established in 1976, the festival is held annually under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.
