Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 46th Cairo International Film Festival in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China is marking a notable presence at the 46th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) this year through participation in both jury work and film screening, highlighting the deepening cultural exchange between China and Egypt.

One of the highlights is the feature film The Botanist by director Jing Yi, which has been selected in both the International Critics' Week Competition and the International Panorama. Set in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of northwest China, the film follows a young Kazakh boy whose fascination with plants develops into a delicate, dreamlike friendship that blurs the line between reality and imagination.

Festival president and famous Egyptian actor and director Hussein Fahmy expressed his delight at China's growing participation in the festival, eyeing further cooperation between Egyptian and Chinese cinemas.

"Chinese cinema is very important and has a long history, and we in Egypt have been interested in it for many years," Fahmy told Xinhua.

"It matters greatly to me to present the Egyptian audience with diverse cultures, and one of the most important is Chinese culture, because it is an ancient culture with a long history and deep-rooted traditions," he added.

Another Chinese film screened at the 46th CIFF is the documentary Cherished Land, produced by China Global Television Network (CGTN), which is featured in the festival's International Panorama section. The film was shot in Xinjiang and follows four intertwined human stories -- a Uyghur family, a father and his son, two sisters, and a teacher and his student.

CGTN producer Ou Xiaolan said she was delighted to bring the documentary to Cairo, describing CIFF as "one of the most well-known film festivals worldwide for it is recognized as a Category 'A' festival," expressing happiness to share the stories of Cherished Land at Cairo's top cinema platform.

She noted that CIFF and China Media Group, a renowned state media body, signed a cooperation protocol last year, referring to it as "a wonderful opportunity for cultural cooperation between the two countries."

A key element of China's participation is the presence of prominent Chinese filmmaker Guan Hu as a jury member of the festival's top International Competition alongside directors and artists from Türkiye, Egypt, Italy, Tunisia, and Romania. Guan is known for acclaimed works such as Mr. Six, The Eight Hundred, and Black Dog, winner of the Un Certain Regard Grand Prize at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024.

In addition to his jury role, CIFF is hosting a dedicated masterclass with Guan, offering young filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts insight into his visual language, his focus on marginalized characters, and his humanistic perspective on contemporary Chinese society.

Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 46th Cairo International Film Festival in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Chinese films received strong appreciation from Egyptian audiences who emphasized their growing interest in Chinese cinema and the increasing popularity of Chinese culture in Egypt and the Arab world.

Egyptian young filmmaker Muna Yahia hailed the Chinese feature The Botanist after watching it at the 46th CIFF, describing the work as "a beautiful and deeply delicate film, different from anything I've seen before."

Yahia was particularly impressed by the young lead actor, saying "the boy's performance was wonderful." She also praised the film's idea of attachment to plants as well as its cinematography.

"China is an important and advanced country with a long cinematic history and the film's selection at CIFF was a good choice," she said, adding that "Chinese cinema is respectable, beautiful, and very poetic. I hope it continues at this high level, or even better."