It’s been about a month since The 39th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) ended and I am perplexed. The CIFF has practically subcontracted its two opening and fence ceremonies with two sponsors. Was it a good or a bad choice?
A large international film festival requires a huge budget. However, it has become obvious that budgets allocated to festivals such as JCC or CIFF, theoretically organized by the Ministries of Culture in their countries, are very insufficient. These festivals are therefore obliged to use sponsors, mainly when it comes to organizing beautiful fence and opening ceremonies and above all inviting international stars.
Nicolas Cage on the red carpet of CIFF
Although some believe that the essential is the quality of the films, I personally believe that a festival is a whole: films, seminars, debates, but also glamor, glitter and therefore the presence of stars. This is what gives a brilliance to a festival and gives it better visibility. And thereby also promotes local cinema and destination, which is necessary for our countries.
For its 39th edition, the Cairo Film International Film Festival (CIFF) has chosen to invite international stars, such as Nicolas Cage, Adrien Brody, Hilary Swank and Elizabeth Hurley. And precisely, as his budget is insufficient, he had to use important sponsors.
To this end, the CIFF has concluded a partnership contract with the TV channel “DMC” and the jeweler “Bulgari”.
It is a good thing to have such partners who offer material and logistical help, except that we have attended serious overruns. Indeed, these two sponsors have monopolized the two festival opening and fence ceremonies. They organized them entirely and the management of the festival was no longer even master on board!
The festival has, for example, lost control of the guest list and some professionals who should have been automatically invited had not been, while some people who had no connection with the cinema had been. Worse, the festival was given an insufficient number of invitations, which is inconceivable. The height then is that dozens of seats had remained unoccupied. Without forgetting that the logos of the sponsors even preceded that of the festival on the invitation boxes!
Invitations to CIFF opening and fence ceremonies
What was even more inconceivable is that some guests of honor at the festival, specially from abroad, were not invited to the evenings that followed official ceremonies organized by Bulgari.
In addition, during the opening ceremony, to the surprisingly of the presents, a video acting as an advertising spot for Bulgari jewelry was projected and had been followed by a speech by the representative of Bulgari in the Arab world! Even if on this video, we saw extracts from films where actresses wore Bulgari jewelry, what real link with cinema and culture?
Other overruns and inconveniences have been deplored, such as the poor conditions under which the opening film was screened, which forced the director to stop the session.
Adrien Brody on the CIFF red carpet
Ciff not having been able to take care of its opening and fence ceremonies itself? He could certainly have done so. I also remind you that Last year was the case, and the ceremonies were very beautiful and very well organized.
But the CIFF needed a significant budget that the Ministry of Culture could no longer grant it, and without these two important sponsors, the CIFF would never have had the financial means to invite international stars. However, the festival needed these stars.
The festival needed to shine, to be talked about. He needed to show that he remains a big festival. Especially since competition becomes tough, both nationally with the brand new El Gouna Film Festivalthat at the international level with a festival such as that of Dubai which every year becomes even more important.
In addition, the whole country needs the promotion brought to it by the festival. You just have to see the impact of The success of the first edition of the El Gouna Film Festival on the city. Reservations in hotels have increased and according to Intishal Al Timimi, director of the festival, even the price of land is up.
Elizabeth Hurley on the CIFF red carpet
The famous Egyptian critic Tarek Elshinnawi also noted that the presence of stars such as Nicolas Cage and Adrien Brody at the closing ceremony was very positive, it was especially A response to the Sinai attack a few days earlier and which had made 305 victims. For him, the presence of such actors has put on an important political aspect.
I agree with him and I confirm what he wrote. I think that the management of the CIFF had made the right choice and that the presence of such stars and the visibility it gives is greatly used to promote the country. Without forgetting the impact that photos of these stars visited the Gizeh pyramids And other Egyptian sites or monuments barely a few days after images of the dead and injured during the Sinai attack!
Hilary Swank with the pyramids of Giza
Nicolas Cage on the Gizeh set
In addition, I remain convinced that the management of the CIFF, rich in this year’s experience, will learn from the necessary lessons to succeed even better the next edition.
For its 28th edition, which took place last November, The JCC management says it has made the choice not to invite stars and make a return to basics and activism. Personally, I regret this choice. I repeat, the presence of stars is very important, especially in the current circumstances that our country is going through. Tunisia needs to promote its cinema and especially its tourism.
In conclusion, yes, the sponsors are necessary, but they must not take control of the festival. Of course, this is an operation where each partners must be a winner, but not to the point that the sponsor becomes the boss. It is actually necessary to find the right balance that allows the festival to invite these stars and organize beautiful ceremonies and the sponsor to be clearly visible without becoming invasive.
Neïla Driss
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