Khaled Aref, the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Senegal, attended the screening of the Egyptian short film "The Rhythm of a Girl's Dream" by director Marwa El Sharkawy, as part of the activities of the African Women's Short Film Festival held in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

Egypt's participation in the African Women's Film Festival

According to the Egyptian Embassy in Senegal, the Egyptian participation comes within the framework of the embassy’s keenness to enhance cultural and artistic cooperation and civilizational communication between Egypt and Senegal, reflecting the two countries’ commitment to supporting the arts as a bridge for rapprochement and mutual understanding.

In addition, the festival witnessed broad participation from filmmakers and creators, as it is a prominent platform to celebrate the creativity of African women and highlight their role in the cinematic scene.

African Women's Film Festival

In addition to the Egyptian film, the two Moroccan films, Bitter Algae by director Idriss Chouika and Gardens of Paradise by director Sonia Terrab, are participating in the African Women's Film Festival.

This edition, organized under the slogan "Women on the Front Lines," features 12 feature films and 14 short films in the official competition, with a focus on African works that address women's issues and the problems of contemporary societies on the continent.

Alongside the film screenings, the festival offers a rich program that includes training workshops, seminars and intellectual meetings, in addition to screenings of films and documentaries outside the competition.

The festival represents a cinematic platform for empowering women and telling African stories within the framework of supporting female creativity and enhancing women's presence in the film industry.

The African Women's Short Film Festival kicked off this year, 2026, with wide participation from female filmmakers from various countries of the African continent, in an artistic and cultural event that reflects the diversity of African women's experiences.

This year's festival features films from more than 20 African countries, including Egypt, with a diverse range of works including short fiction films, documentaries, and animated films, all focusing on issues concerning African women.

The festival aims to support young female directors, provide a platform to showcase their work internationally, and create opportunities to network with producers and distributors. It also includes workshops in directing and screenwriting, panel discussions on the future of women's cinema in Africa, and meetings with prominent female filmmakers.