Over the past three years, CFC has awarded more than $600,000 to support Arab filmmakers.
Cairo Film Connection (CFC) has announced the jury members and awards for its eighth edition, which will take place from December 1 to 5, 2021. CFC will run within the 43rd Cairo International Film Festival.
The jury members include Hania Mroueh, Metropolis Cinema Director in Lebanon, Alice Kharoubi, Programming Director of the Cannes Film Festival Market in France, and Egyptian filmmaker Sherif El-Bandary.
Speaking about the awards and jury, Mohamed Hefzy, President of Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), said: “I am proud to see CFC grow year after year, not only in terms of prize money but also in terms of quality of Projects. We are seeing the fruit of the previous editions in the great Arab films hitting the festival, and I am sure that this year’s selections will also help many unforgettable films come to life.”
Chadi Zeneddine, Head of Cairo Film Connection, added: “We’re thrilled that Hania Mroueh, Alice Kharoubi and Sherif El-Bandary have accepted to join the jury of CFC for this upcoming edition. Not only are they established industry professionals but they’ve been great and constant supporters of talent from the region.”
Meriame El Deghedi, Head of Cairo Industry Days, stated: “Cairo Industry Days has succeeded in becoming an essential stop for the industry, bringing together filmmakers and cinema professionals. We’re very proud to be able to offer an unprecedented amount of awards to some of the best projects in the region and welcome international guests to advise and develop key projects.”
The Cairo Film Connection also announces a list of new and returning partners, sponsors, and awards worth of $300,000, a record number since CFC’s inception. Fifteen features (fiction and nonfiction) in development and post-production phases will pitch their projects come December.
CFC takes part within the Cairo Industry Days (CID) framework, in partnership with the Arab Cinema Center.
Members from major film institutions, festivals and production companies from across the world, including Thierry Frémaux, director of the Cannes Film Festival, are scheduled to join the Cairo Industry Days events. Moreover, delegates from Berlinale, La biennale de Venezia, Visions du Sud-Est, Sarajevo, as well as Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Anonymous Content, AFAC, Netflix, Shahid, Arte, Pyramide, Sony and some established and up-and-coming producers, will attend.
The 43rd Cairo International Film Festival will take place, with all preventive steps made in compliance with Egyptian government and World Health Organisation rules to ensure the safety of participating filmmakers, the general audience, and festival personnel.
CFC partners and sponsors include the Arab Cinema Center, which will invite one producer from a film project to participate in the Rotterdam Lab. Yet, MAD Solutions and Ergo will distribute the film throughout the Arab World with a minimum guarantee of $50,000. Moreover, Badya, ART, Arabia Pictures, and Rotana will each offer a $10,000 cash reward. Furthermore, OSN will offer a $50,000 licensing agreement. Likewise, the Cell will provide three unique prizes to the winners: a DCP tape for a post-production project, colour correction for a post-production project, and a promotional package for a post-production project that comprises a teaser and trailer.
Among the partners and sponsors is IEFTA which will provide a targeted and intense mentorship programme that will work with the filmmaker and their crew from production through release. On a parallel note, Sard Writing Room will provide a $5,000 cash reward as well as script doctoring for a feature fiction project in progress, whilst Film Independent will offer virtual consulting for a fiction feature film project in progress and virtual documentary consulting for a project in post-production phase.
Moreover, New Black will provide a $5,000 cash prize as well as colour grading and offline editing services. Lagoonie Film Production will provide a $5,000 cash reward, while AH Media Production will provide a $10,000 cash award to the winner.
Similarly, the Red Sea Film Festival and Nation Production will each award a $10,000 cash prize, Shahid platform will offer a $15,000 cash award and Malmo Film Festival will offer a $5,000 cash award and marketing campaign. Additionally, Clackett will also give away a $5,000 cash prize and a free subscription to the App and Cornerstone will offer a $10,000 cash prize.
