After presenting her latest film The man who sold his skin to the Orrizonti (Horizons) competition of the 77th edition of the Venice International Film Festivaland have won thehe prices for best actor in a main role for Yahya Mahyni and the EDIPO RO Prize for inclusion and after Participation in the official competition of the El Gouna film festival, Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania will be in Cairo, with his new film project Olffa’s girlsselected from the sixteen projects in competition at the Cairo Film Connection (CFC).
This is what was announced by the Cairo Connection team which has just unveiled its selection of cinematographic projects that will participate in its seventh edition, organized as part of the 42nd edition of the Cairo Film Festival (CIFF) which will take place from November 19 to 28, 2020.
The Cairo Film Connection Cairo Selection Committee, made up of key professionals in the film industry, has chosen a limited list of 15 film projects – fictional feature and documentaries – in development and postproduction in 12 Arab countries.
Seven feature fictional films under development:
– The Legend of Zainab and Noah – The legend of Zainab and Noah (Egypt) of director Yousry Nasrallah;
– I can hear your voice … Still – I can hear your voice … again (Egypt) of director Sameh Alaa;
– Breakfast lunch and dinner – breakfast, lunch and dinner (Egypt) by Mohamed Samir;
– Snow White – Snow White (Egypt) of Taghrid Abuelhassan;
– Passage (Syria) by Amr Ali;
– Fog – fog (Iraq / Lebanon) by Ruba Atiyeh;
– Scheherazade Goes Silent – Sheherazade is silent (Palestine / Jordan) by Amira Diab.
A postproduction fictional feature film project ::
– The Alleys – Les aisles From Bassel Ghandour (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia).
Four development projects selected in development:
– Olfa’s daughters – the girls of olfa (Tunisia – France) by Kaouther Ben Hania;
– Flying Like A Bird – steering wheel like a bird (Morocco – France) by El Mahdi Lyoubi;
– Tell them about us-Tell them about us (Jordanie-Allemagne) by Rand Beiruty;
– Caesar – Caesar (Jordanie-USA) by Widad Shafakoj.
Three postproduction documentary projects:
– Before the Final Picture -before the final photo (Egypt) by Aya Tallah Yusuf;
– The last screeningist – the last projectionist (Palestine – Germany) by Alex Bakri;
– Iraq Invisible Beauty – Invisible Beauty in Iraq (Iraq -Belgique -France) by Sahim Omar.
Comment on this Mohamed Hefzy, president of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), said: “This year, we are determined to continue supporting Arabic cinema by highlighting the young talents of Arab cinema and their various projects, taking up all the challenges imposed by the pandemic on the global film industry. We are committed to strictly monitoring the precautions approved by WHO and taken by the Egyptian government to ensure the security of the guests of the festival and the public. “”
Mohamed Hefzy added: “There are many reasons why we are proud of this year 2020 edition. The film Lift like a girl From Mayyy Zayed, who is in the official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), had participated in the 5th edition of the Cairo Film Connection in 2018 and had been selected to be screened in an official competition from the 42nd edition of the Cairo International Film Festival. The film is now considered one of the most important Arab films of 2020. In addition, this year’s selection includes a multitude of films by prolific filmmakers, as well as directors whose first film and we are proud that 50% of the selected projects are those of directors. ” This is also respect for the 50/50 charter, signed by the CIFF in 2019.
Meriame Deghedi, director of the Cairo Film Connection, commented: “Directed the CFC edition this year is a very great responsibility. Not only because we want to rely on the success of previous years, but above all to provide unreserved support to Arab filmmakers and talents who were affected by this year’s global crisis. Besides, the resilience of the Arab filmmakers was obvious and reflected in the number of submissions that we received ”.
She added: “We are proud to have selected stories of directors from different horizons and cultures from the Arab world this year, which is one of our objectives since the creation of Cairo Film Connection. We are also very happy to receive the bids of the legendary Yousry Nasrallah and the award -winning director Kaouther Ben Hania, who submit their film projects alongside young directors such as Bassel Ghandour, producer of Theeb, nominated at the Oscars. It is an excellent mixture that reflects the type of diversity that we are looking for in the CFC ”.
“The success of the CFC is not only measured by the value of the awards presented by our precious partners and sponsors, who reached $ 200,000 last year, the most important sum since the launch of the CFC, but also in the opportunities it offers for multiple collaborations between filmmakers from the Arab world and professionals in the film of the whole world, giving rise to promising Arabic film projects In major international film festivals, “she said.
Tunisian filmmakers often participate in the Cairo Film Connection. For example, in 2018, Tunisian producer Dorra Bouchoucha had been a member of the jury for this competition, alongside the Egyptian producer Gaby Khoury and the Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir.
That year, three Tunisian film projects had won awards:
– Seved Head – Cut Head of the director Lotfi Achour had won a price of $ 10,000 offered by Arabia Pictures.
Synopsis: Two young shepherds, Nizar, 16, and his cousin Achraf, 14, venture into the mountains with their goats, in a prohibited military zone. Caught by jihadists, Nizar is beheaded and his cut head given to Achraf, who is forced to bring her to her mother. After some hesitation, full of sorrow and terror, Achraf rolls his head cut in a bag and descend from the mountain by carrying his terrible burden. But the family will try at all costs to recover the adolescent’s body because they will refuse to bury it if their body is not whole.
– Before it’s too late – before it’s too late The director Majdi Lakhdar had won a price of $ 50,000 presented by OSN to acquire the projection rights.
Synopsis: Ali is an old Tunisian tailor who spends his time looking for a treasure buried in an underground gallery of his house. One day, he finds himself stuck with his wife and children under the rubble after the collapse of their house. Now he has to take them to the underground shelter while trying to find a way to save them before it is too late.
– My Mohamed is different – my mohamed is different From director Ines Marzouk had received a postproduction prize presented by Aroma Studios. The price offers color calibration and DCP.
Synopsis: In the context of a beautiful dilapidated city with its music, its heritage and its simplicity hides a very disturbing reality. The inhabitants try to escape poverty by marrying older foreigners. Abdel Rahim, a local tourist guide, married and father of two, will do everything to find a foreign woman to ensure her future. It connects with women online to seduce them. After six months, he finally finds a woman. Serena and Maria, both approaching their 80th birthday, marry men 40 years younger. After the surrealist relationships of these three couples, there is recognition of human vulnerability and despair.
In 2019, the Tunisian film project The Disqualified – the disqualified From Hamza Ouni, produced by Erige Sehiri had won the Cell Award, or $ 3,000 for a postproduction feature film project and the creation of a DCP.
Synopsis: shot in Mohammedia, Tunisia, the film traces twelve years of Mehrez’s life. Differential dancer and actor, but also dependent on gambling and horse racing, he fights against himself and against the disarming contradictions of his country. In his tireless quest for sincere emotions, Mehrez challenges all the established rules.
