CIFF has launched the first edition of Cairo Industry Days platform in partnership with the Arab Cinema Center. Also nine female Arab directors' films will be screened during the festival.
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) opened its 40th edition at the Cairo Opera House on Tuesday 20 November, with the Middle East premiere of Green Book starring actors Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali directed and co- written by Peter Farrelly. The festival will conclude on 29 November. This years programme includes 160 films from 59 countries.
As per media reports, Egyptian Producer and President of the Cairo International Film Festival, Mohamed Hefzy, addressed the audience and welcomed the government officials who were present at the ceremony. He inaugurated the Audience Award of $20,000 to the winner.
The festival organisers stated that during the CIFF submission period it received 2,351 entries, 2,200 of which were eligible. The entries included 790 feature films, 623 of which were feature fiction films, 167 documentaries, and approximately 1,300 were short films. The Cairo Film Connection received more than 100 applications for projects.
Hefzy said that for the first time, the CIFF is launching the first edition of Cairo Industry Days platform in partnership with the Arab Cinema Center.
Apart from Egypt, the nominations from Arab states came largely from Lebanon with 38 films, followed by Morocco with 33 films, then Tunisia with 28 films, Iraq 20 films, Syria with 17 films, Algeria with 14 films, Saudi Arabia with 12 films and the UAE with nine films. Both Jordan and Bahrain submitted five films, Palestine and Qatar each submitted four films, and Libya and Oman each submitted one film.
The festival also decided to dedicate a programme this year to celebrate female Arab filmmakers, through the screening of nine films by female directors over the past few years.
