Fifty years after Rocky and CIFF began their journeys in 1976, the opening film tells the true story behind one of cinema’s most enduring legends

The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), headed by acclaimed Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy, has announced that I Play Rocky, directed by two-time Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly, will open its 47th edition, running from November 11 to 20, 2026. The American film will screen in the Official Selection, Out of Competition.

The choice of opening film carries particular significance. In 1976, two stories that would leave their mark on cinema began on opposite sides of the world. On the streets of Philadelphia, the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa was chasing a seemingly impossible dream, while in Cairo, a new international film festival was taking its first steps. Fifty years later, their stories converge on CIFF’s opening night with a film about the real-life struggle that brought one of cinema’s most iconic characters to the screen.

I Play Rocky tells the story behind the making of the 1976 classic Rocky, following a young Sylvester Stallone as he struggles to establish himself in Hollywood. After writing a screenplay about an unknown boxer determined to defy the odds, Stallone attracts the interest of producers who want to buy his script and cast an established star in the lead role. But Stallone refuses to give up the part he created, turning his own struggle to realize his dream into a real-life parallel to Rocky’s story.

The film revisits one of Hollywood’s most remarkable success stories, tracing how a risky creative gamble became a worldwide cinematic phenomenon. The original Rocky was both a critical and commercial success, winning three Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for John G. Avildsen, and launching a franchise whose influence would span generations.

Anthony Ippolito stars as Sylvester Stallone, having previously portrayed Al Pacino in the limited series The Offer, which explored the making of The Godfather. The ensemble cast also includes Matt Dillon, AnnaSophia Robb, P. J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracey Letts, Jay Duplass, and Kiki Seto.

Written by Peter Gamble, I Play Rocky is directed by Peter Farrelly, whose credits include Green Book (2018), for which he won two Academy Awards: Best Picture, as one of its producers, and Best Original Screenplay, as a co-writer. Farrelly’s career spans directing, screenwriting, and producing. The film is produced by Toby Emmerich, Christian Baha, Peter Farrelly, and Paul Currie, with distribution by Amazon MGM and United Motion Pictures.

I Play Rocky had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2026, where it finished as first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award. It went on to win the Audience Award in the Galas & Special Presentations section at the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at Canada’s Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.

The film was also selected for a surprise screening at the BFI London Film Festival and featured at the Rome, Zurich, and Chicago film festivals, as well as AFI FEST, where it screened in the Red Carpet Premieres section. Its international festival run has been marked by an enthusiastic audience response to a story about the passion, perseverance, and creative risks behind filmmaking.

By selecting I Play Rocky as its opening film, CIFF continues its commitment to showcasing cinema that combines artistic merit with audience appeal, while turning the spotlight on the filmmaking process itself and the personal and creative challenges behind bringing stories to the screen.

Half a century after Rocky first reached audiences and the Cairo International Film Festival was founded, the opening night of CIFF’s 47th edition brings these two histories together: one celebrating the determination of a young actor who fought to bring his character to life, the other marking a cinematic journey that began in Cairo in 1976 and continues to connect audiences with films from around the world.

About Cairo International Film Festival

Founded in 1976, the Cairo International Film Festival is one of the oldest and most established film festivals in the Arab world and Africa, and a major international platform for cinema and the film industry. Held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, CIFF is accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).

Over five decades, the festival has established itself as a meeting place for filmmakers and industry professionals from around the world, a platform for discovering emerging talent, fostering cultural dialogue, and supporting the development of Arab and international cinema.

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