The 45th Cairo International Film Festival was formally launched on Sunday with a press conference. It was under the banner of resilience and homage that Hussein Fahmy, president of the festival, opened this meeting, despite the recent death of his brother, the famous Egyptian actor Mostafa Fahmy, last week.
Dressed in black and looking very tired, Hussein Fahmy nevertheless affirmed his determination to fulfil his responsibilities to the full, honouring his role in the launch of this major film event.
The press conference was attended by leading figures from Arab cinema. Among those present were Egyptian actors Mahmoud Hemeda and Lebleba, and producers Mohamed El Adl and Gaby Khoury, who expressed their support for the event. Film-makers Yousry Nasrallah, a visionary Egyptian director, and Rachid Masharawi, a Palestinian director, were also present. Two great Tunisian actresses, Aïcha Ben Ahmed and Dorra Zarrouk, were among the distinguished guests.
Aïcha Ben Ahmed, a rising star in Tunisian and international cinema, is attracting attention for her exceptional talent and natural charisma. Her dazzling career has made her a veritable ambassador for Tunisian culture abroad, and her participation on the jury of this year’s international competition is testament to the recognition of her talent. Dorra Zarrouk, known for her elegance, was present because of the selection of her first film as a director, The Life That Remains, at the Cairo Festival.
Taking the floor, Hussein Fahmy thanked the guests for attending and recalled that the 2023 edition had been cancelled in solidarity with the Palestinian people, in response to the tragic events that have continued to mark the region for over a year. He stressed that it was imperative to maintain the festival this year, underlining the strict regulations of the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF), which allows only one consecutive cancellation.
He pointed out that CIFF’s mission is to showcase films rarely distributed in Egypt, from the four corners of the globe, notably Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Hussein Fahmy also announced the personalities who would be honoured, as well as a number of new features for this year’s edition, including the ART 74 initiative, the ‘Made In Egypt’ section, the ‘Cairo Classics’ section, the ‘Palestinian Cinema’ section, and the guest country for this year’s edition: China.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
