For its 45th edition, the Cairo International Film Festival will highlight 24 Egyptian and Arab films, carefully chosen from the whole Arab world to reflect the diversity and wealth of this region.
This year, the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) will offer an impressive and abundant selection of Egyptian and Arabic films, representing nearly a quarter of its programming. This selection includes an extensive variety of Arab films, including world worldwide and acclaimed films on an international scale which collected praise from the public and criticism at various international cinema festivals.
The CIFF undertakes to allow its audience to discover the latest cinematographic achievements from Egypt and from the Arab world.
The festival is enthusiastic about the idea of unveiling the confirmed list of Egyptian and Arab films which will be presented in its program so far.
In the official competition, four films in the Arab world will be selected, of which Desertsthe latest long -awaited film by the famous Moroccan filmmaker Faouzi Bensaïdi. The film made its world premiere in the “Directors’ Fortnight” section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The programming of the competition from Lebanon also includes the latest film by Mira Shaib, Arzéwhich will make its world premiere in Cairo. The film features Diamand Abou Abboud in the main role.
In addition, in his new cinematographic journey, Back to Alexandriathe director Egypto-Suisse Tamer Ruggli will transport the spectators between Cairo and Alexandria, with the legendary French actress Fanny Ardant sharing the screen with the Lebanese star Nadine Labaki.
Finally, The Yellow Busan Emirato-Indian production led by Wendy Bednraz and starring the Syrian actress Kinda Alloush, is distinguished as an original Osn production, having made her world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this year.
Regarding the documentary competition, two Arab films will make their world premiere.
From Lebanon, Cilama From Hady Zaccak, revolves around the memories of the director and people and the cinema of Tripoli. Egyptian director Aya Yusuf will present her film, Samar: Before the Final Picturewhich takes place between Cairo and Dubai, where Samar tries to rebuild his life after being attacked by his former partner.
In addition, the Syrian film Under the sky of Damascusdirected by Talal Derki, Heba Khaled and Ali Wajeeh, will be screened in Cairo after having made his world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival at the start of the year. In addition, the competition will include the Palestinian film Three promisesdirected by Yousef Srouji, who made her world premiere at the Visions du Réel festival.
In the Horizons competition of Arabic cinema, the Saudi film To my son, with Dhafer the Abidine in the main role and produced by himselfand produced by MBC Studios, revolves around a Saudi father and his son back to the kingdom after having lived in the United Kingdom for a long time.
In addition, the opening film of the competition will be the Lebanese documentary Dancing on the Edge of A Volcanofrom Cyril Aris, who captures the production of the latest award -winning film by Mounia Akl, Costa Brava, Lebanon. The competition also includes three other films, including Baghdad Messidirected by the Belgian-Iraqi director Sahim Omar Kalifa, the latest film by Moroccan director Hicham Lasri Badass girl and finally the Yemeni proposal for the Oscars, The Burdened of Amr Gamal.
The competition of short films includes 10 Egyptian and Arab films, of which seven will have world worldwide:
- Promised to the Sea de Hend Sohail (Egypt),
- For good luck from Samer Battikhi (Jordan),
- Enough water to drown by Joseph Adel (Egypt),
- Passing day by Rasha Shahin (Syria),
- Wishes for My Heart of Sherien Diab (Egypt),
- The Last Dismissal by Jawaher Alamri (Saudi Arabia)
- The poem we blood Annie Sakkab (Palestine).
In addition, the Cairo short film can see three films that have been screened in the best international festivals in the world:
- I Promise you paradise of the Egyptian director Mourad Mustafa, who was screened at the Critics Week at the Cannes Film Festival,
- I come from the sea of the Lebanese director Feyrouz Serhal, who was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival,
- If the Sun Drowned Into An Ocean of Clouds The Lebanese director Wessam Sharaf, who participated in the Venice Mostra of this year.
Finally, A house in jerusalem From Muayad Elayyan (Palestine), who made his world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival of this year, will be screened in the “Midnight sessions” section.
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is one of the oldest and most regular festivals in the Arab world and in Africa, and the only festival in the Arab and African region recorded in category A of the International Federation of Producers (FIAPF).
Press release.
