Mediterranean International Youth Film Festival (1)

Festival start: 01 February 2026      Festival end: 12 February 2026

The Mediterranean International Youth Film Festival is a global cinematic platform run by filmmakers from several countries. Held in Alexandria, Egypt, it is dedicated to celebrating young, independent filmmakers from around the world.

The festival focuses on supporting creative talent, showcasing new voices, and providing a unique environment for international networking among filmmakers, critics, producers, and distributors.

The ten-day festival offers film screenings, Q&A sessions, advanced workshops, meetings with industry experts, artist residencies, and extensive professional development opportunities.

The festival takes place annually from February 1 to 15 at various venues in Alexandria.

The Mediterranean International Youth Film Festival presents a range of prestigious awards honoring the best films in all categories, including:

1. Grand Prize of the Festival
Awarded to the best film in all official competitions.

2. Grand Jury Prize
Awarded to a work distinguished by artistic boldness or a unique directorial vision.

3. Best Film Awards:
Best Short Fiction Film
Best Short Documentary Film
Best Experimental Film
Best Student Film

4. Performance and Crew Awards
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Actor
Best Actress

5. Youth Awards - Awarded to filmmakers under 25
Best Emerging Talent
Best Young Director

6. Special Awards:
Special Mention from the Jury
Special Mention for Films with Social Impact
Distinguished Artistic Mention

7. Cash Prizes for each competition.

The amounts will be announced later on the festival's social media pages.

1. Eligibility

The festival is open to filmmakers from all over the world.

Only short films, documentaries, feature films, experimental films, and student films are eligible.

A premiere is not required, but preference will be given to works not screened in the Middle East and North Africa.

2. Submission Requirements

The film must be uploaded in high quality to the submission platform.

An official poster, stills from the film, and a short biography of the director must be submitted.

If the film is not in English, it must include English subtitles. Films without English subtitles will be automatically disqualified.

3. Selection and Competitions

The festival's official competitions will feature 100 films.

The programming committee reserves the right to select any film it deems suitable without providing reasons for rejection.

4. Screenings

The festival reserves the right to screen a film one to three times during the festival.

The filmmaker automatically agrees to have their film screened during the festival free of charge.

5. Attendance and Awards

The presence of the film's crew is not a requirement for screenings.

The winner must accept the award in person on stage at the closing ceremony.

If the film's representative is not present, the award will not be presented (the winner will still be announced, but no physical prize will be given).

6. Festival Rights

The festival reserves the right to use short clips from the film for promotional purposes.

The festival reserves the right to archive the film in a private, non-commercial library.