Ahmed Shawky

Ahmed Shawky is an Egyptian film critic and programmer, and the elected President of FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics). He publishes weekly articles on cinema and the entertainment industry and has authored nine specialized books on Egyptian cinema.

Shawky serves as the President of the Egyptian Film Critics Association and is the director of CineGouna Platform, a film development and co-production program within the El Gouna Film Festival. He is also the MENA regional programming advisor for the Tallinn and Shanghai International Film Festivals.

He has worked as an artistic director and programmer for several film festivals, including Cairo, Malmö, Aswan, Tripoli, and Mumbai. Additionally, he has served on numerous international juries, including Locarno, Eurasia, Transilvania, Macau, Luxembourg, Oran, and Taipei film festivals. His most notable jury roles include the Cannes Film Festival, where he chaired the FIPRESCI jury during its 75th edition in 2022, and later the Berlin International Film Festival jury in 2025.