By People of AI · Round One · 2026
Egypt AI Film Award
People of AI presents Egypt's first AI film award for films made with generative AI. 120 AI films. 18 finalists. 11 jurors. 6 mentor studios. 1 night at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
About the award
Every new era of cinema gets its first award. This is AI's. It starts here.
The Egypt AI Film Award is People of AI's award for films made with generative AI and directed by people — the first of its kind in Egypt. Not a tech demo. Not a hackathon. A film award, with a jury, prizes and a premiere, for the first generation of filmmakers who direct with AI.
Round One is where it begins. 1,400 creators applied, 1,000 were trained in AI filmmaking by industry experts, and the finalists were mentored by six of the country's leading AI studios. Their films are judged by a jury that spans Egyptology, film, design and advertising.
The theme of Round One: Egypt tells its own story. Each film takes one governorate and one story from its heritage and brings it back to life, told by the people who live there.
- Creators trained
- 1,000
- AI films submitted
- 120
- Governorates on screen
- 20
Heritage × Generative AIRound One
At a glance
The award in brief, and how the public vote works.
- Event
- Egypt's first AI film awardBy People of AI · Round One: Egypt Eternal Voices
- Theme
- Egypt tells its own storyOne governorate, one story from its heritage
- Creators
- 1,000 trained in AI filmmaking1,400 applied · mentored by six AI studios
- Films
- 120 submitted · 18 finalistsFrom 20 governorates
- AI rule
- At least 70% generated with AIUp to 30% real footage
- Jury
- 11 jurors, four criteriaEnjoyment, Story, Heritage & originality, Craft & AI use
- Finale
- Grand Egyptian MuseumOctober–November 2026 · by invitation
- Public vote
- The People AwardCloses on 30 November 2026, 11:59 PM (Cairo time)
What to know before you vote
- Watch the film firstOpen a film, watch it to the end, then vote.
- Sign in with GoogleVoting and Love need a Google account, so every vote belongs to a real person.
- One vote per filmYou can vote for as many different finalists as you like, but only once per film.
- Love is not a voteLove shows a film you enjoyed. It is counted separately and does not count towards The People Award.
- Voting closes on timeThe public vote closes on 30 November 2026, 11:59 PM (Cairo time). Counts stay visible after it closes.
- The People AwardThe finalist with the most verified votes receives The People Award, announced at the finale.
Round One · Official Selection
The Films
Eighteen finalists chosen from 120 Round One submissions, plus films screened in Special Participation. Watch them, love the ones that move you, and vote for your favourite finalist for The People Award.
The Finale · October–November 2026
Premiering at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The oldest stories in the world and the newest way to tell them, under one roof. The Top 10 films premiere at the Grand Egyptian Museum, where the Grand Prix, Gold and Silver winners are announced live on the night.
- films on the big screen
- Top 10
- in prizes, awarded live
- $10,000
- at the GEM
- 1 night
Attendance is by invitation only
Request an invitation below. Every request is reviewed by our team.
Registering interest is not a confirmed ticket — shortlisted guests receive an invitation.
Register interest to attendRecognition
The Awards
USD 10,000 in Round One prizes. Winners are chosen by the jury and announced live on the night of the finale at the Grand Egyptian Museum. The People Award is chosen by the public vote.
2nd place
$3,000
Gold
Cash prize + screening at the GEM finale
1st place
$5,000
Grand Prix
Cash prize + the Award's top honour + premiere screening at the GEM finale
3rd place
$2,000
Silver
Cash prize + screening at the GEM finale
Laurels
Top 10 Honorees
Official Selection laurels + screening at the Grand Egyptian Museum + shared with Egypt's embassy network
Honorary
The People Award
Chosen by the public. The eligible finalist with the most verified votes when voting closes receives The People Award, announced at the finale. No cash prize is attached.
How films are judged
Story first. Every juror scores every film from 1 to 10 on four criteria. The weighted average decides the ranking — and a film you can't stop watching beats a film that only looks expensive.
30%
Enjoyment
Did it hold us from the first frame to the last?
30%
Story
A clear, emotional story with a beginning, middle and end.
20%
Heritage & originality
A fresh, respectful angle on Egypt's history.
20%
Craft & AI use
Visuals, sound and edit — and smart use of the tools.
Round One Jury
Judged by the best
Egyptology, film, design, advertising and technology — eleven voices who understand both the heritage and the frontier.
Dr. Zahi Hawass
Egyptologist & archaeologist; former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs
Dr. Mervat Abou Oaf
Dean, School of Visual Arts & Creativity Management, ESLSCA University; Head of the Cinema Committee, Ministry of Culture
Dr. Ebtissam Farid
Head of School, Coventry School of Design & Media, The Knowledge Hub Universities (TKH)
Tamer Habib
Egyptian screenwriter — Sahar El Layaly (2003), Khas Gedan (2009), Halawet El Donia (2017)
Mohamed Diab
Acclaimed Egyptian screenwriter and director, and the first Arab and Egyptian director to helm a Marvel Studios project.
Wael Fakharany
Managing Director Middle East & Africa, Adobe
Waleed Mowafi
Managing Partner & Creative Director, MO4 Network
Karim Ayesh
CEO, 6FNGRS
Roshdy Ahmed
AI Films Producer
Zeyad Salem
Executive Creative Director, Kijami
Mahmoud Mahdy
Film critic & YouTuber, FilmGamed (فيلم جامد)
Mentors & studios
Trained by experts. Mentored by studios.
No finalist got here alone. Every film was shaped by the people already making AI work for brands, platforms and screens.
The school behind the award
Skillz · The AI School
People of AI's upskilling arm, training thousands of AI creators with industry experts. Learning paths, live sessions and real briefs take a creator from first prompt to finished film. Every Round One filmmaker trained here first.
- creators applied for Round One
- 1,400
- creators trained
- 1,000
- hours of training delivered
- 1,076
- films made
- 120
Lead mentor studio
Skew People
On the mentorship floor both Pre-Screening days, working film by film with every finalist team.
Mentor studio · Training
Faces.Media
Trained Round One creators during the programme and ran a live mentorship session with the finalists.
Mentor studio · Training
ByBagh
Trained Round One creators and mentored finalists on day two of the Pre-Screening Days.
Mentor studio
Naughtyboys
Mentored finalists on day two, sharpening story, pacing and finish before the final cut.
Mentor studio · Workshop
Kijami
Opened the Pre-Screening Days with a hands-on workshop, then mentored finalists through the afternoon.
Mentor studio · Jury
6FNGRS
Mentor studio for Round One. Its CEO, Karim Ayesh, sits on the jury.
Every mentor studio brings a masterclass, a day of mentorship, a case study and a seat on the panel.
Become a mentor studio for 2027 →Round One · 2026
From first prompt to the Grand Egyptian Museum
Stage 1: Summer 2026Done
Train
1,400 creators apply and Egypt Eternal Voices trains 1,000 of them in AI filmmaking — live sessions, studio mentors, real tools.
Stage 2: 31 AugDone
Create
Round One closes. 120 films from 20 governorates — 30,000 seconds of AI cinema.
Stage 3: 10 SepDone
Shortlist
The first finalists are named. The final list grows to 18 films.
Stage 4: 18–19 SepDone
Pre-Screening & Mentorship
Finalists meet Egypt's AI studios at MSA University — screenings, mentorship and the GenAI Special Night.
Stage 5: 10 OctNow
Top 10
The jury scores all 18 finalists. The Top 10 are announced on 10 October 2026.
Stage 6: Until 30 NovNow
Public vote
Watch the finalists and vote for The People Award. Voting closes 30 November 2026, 11:59 PM Cairo time.
Stage 7: Oct – NovNext
The Finale
Top 10 screened at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Grand Prix, Gold and Silver named on the night.
Stage 8: 2027Next
2027 Edition
Bigger. Bolder. Applications open 31 December 2026.
About People of AI
The people behind the award.
People of AI is the company building the largest community of GenAI artists in the region — trained and featured.
Magdi MoussaCo-Founder & CEO
Youssef KamalCo-Founder & CAIO
We started in 2023 as People of Data, Egypt's largest AI & Data community. Today People of AI is the home for everything we build: the community, the school, the clubs and the awards. Our mission is simple — enable 1 million Egyptians to use AI to create better job opportunities, on the way to 10 million Arabs.
The Egypt AI Film Award is how we put the best of that talent on the biggest screens. We train creators, we give them a stage, and we connect them to the studios, brands and partners who hire them.
Where GenAI artistry goes next
Film · nowContentMusicAdvertisingDesignArchitectureDigital products
Patronage & partners
Made possible together
Under the patronage of
Recognised by
Powered by
Main sponsors
Educational partner
Official media partner
Agency partners
AI studio partners
Community partners
Want to back the 2027 edition? people@peopleofdata.org
FAQ
Good questions
What is the Egypt AI Film Award?
People of AI's award for short films made with generative AI and directed by people — the first AI film award of its kind in Egypt. Round One runs through 2026 and ends with a premiere at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Its theme: Egypt tells its own story.
What is "Round One"?
The first edition of the award, running through 2026. Every film was made by participants of Egypt Eternal Voices: 1,400 creators applied, 1,000 were trained, 120 AI films were produced and 18 reached the final. The finale is at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Who trains and mentors the filmmakers?
Filmmakers train with Skillz · The AI School, People of AI's upskilling arm, taught by industry experts. Finalists are then mentored by six AI studios: Skew People, Faces.Media, ByBagh, Naughtyboys, Kijami and 6FNGRS.
Who is People of AI?
The company behind the award — and behind People of Data, Skillz · The AI School, GenAI Club and the GenAI Festival. Our mission is to enable 1 million Egyptians to use AI to create better job opportunities.
What counts as an AI film?
In Round One, at least 70% of each film had to be generated with AI, with up to 30% real footage. The story, direction and final cut must be yours — AI is the tool, you are the filmmaker.
Who judges, and how?
An eleven-member jury chaired by Dr. Mervat Abou Oaf, with Dr. Zahi Hawass as heritage lead. Each juror scores every film from 1 to 10 on Enjoyment (30%), Story (30%), Heritage & originality (20%) and Craft & AI use (20%). Jurors score independently and scores are sealed before results are announced.
How is the prize paid?
Winners receive their prize by bank transfer within 60 days of the announcement, subject to verification of eligibility and identity. Winners are responsible for any applicable taxes.
When can I watch the films?
Now. Films are published in the gallery as their videos become available. Open any film to watch it.
How does the public vote work?
Sign in with Google, open a finalist and vote. You can vote for as many different finalists as you like, but only once per film. Voting closes on 30 November 2026, 11:59 PM (Cairo time). The finalist with the most verified votes receives The People Award, an honorary award announced at the finale.
What is the difference between Love and Vote?
Love shows a film you enjoyed, and you can love any film in the gallery. Vote is the official public vote for The People Award, open to finalists only. They are counted separately — a Love is never counted as a vote.
Can I attend the finale?
The finale at the Grand Egyptian Museum is by invitation only. Use the Request an invitation form in the Finale section and our team will review your request.
How is the 2027 edition different?
Bigger and bolder. Applications officially open on 31 December 2026. Show your interest now and you'll be first to hear when the 2027 rules, tracks, prizes and dates are published.
Can my company partner with the 2027 edition?
Yes. Write to people@peopleofdata.org and we'll send you the partnership deck.
Egypt AI Film Award · by People of AI
Bigger. Bolder. 2027.
Round One was the first. 2027 is the one everyone remembers. More creators, more studios, a bigger stage — the 2027 edition is open to the next generation of GenAI storytellers.
- More stories
Film leads the way, with room for new GenAI tracks as the award grows — content, music, advertising, design.
- More reach
An award built to travel. Round One started in Egypt — 2027 carries the stage further.
- More than a screening
Training with Skillz · The AI School, mentorship from the mentor studios, and a direct line to the people who hire.
Show interest in 2027
Applications officially open on 31 December 2026. Show interest now and you'll be first to hear.
Round One finalists and Egypt Eternal Voices alumni: use the email you registered with.