Shawky will oversee the jury while also serving as a judge for the films in the international competition.
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) has appointed Egyptian film critic Ahmed Shawky as President of the Critics Jury at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, set to take place from February 13 to 23, 2025.
Shawky will lead FIPRESCI’s largest annual jury, which consists of 12 international critics tasked with evaluating films across various sections of the festival. In addition to presiding over this panel, he will also serve on the international competition jury alongside critics Maja Korbecka from Poland and Francisca Romero Pezoa from Chile.
A prominent figure in the film industry, Shawky has previously served as the artistic director of the Cairo International Film Festival and has been a key contributor to major film publications. His extensive work as a writer, researcher and festival programmer has played a vital role in shaping contemporary film discourse in the region.
His experience includes programming for film festivals such as Cairo, Malmo and Mumbai. Additionally, he has served as a jury member at numerous international festivals, including Locarno, Shanghai, Eurasia, Transylvania, Macao, Sofia, Oran and Taipei. In 2022, he was President of the FIPRESCI Jury at the Cannes Film Festival.
Beyond his festival work, Shawky has authored eight books on Egyptian cinema and has collaborated with various film festivals, including El Gouna, Cairo and Malmo. He also serves as the Middle East Head of Development for the “VIU” streaming platform and regularly publishes articles on cinema and the entertainment industry.