Actor Hussein Fahmi, President of Cairo International Film Festival, participated today in the first panel discussion at the Egyptian Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival under the title “Reviving Heritage”. Other speakers were Dr. Hany Aboul Hassan, Advisor to the President of the Egyptian Media Production City for International Cooperation, Dhia Jerbi from the Archive Circulation Initiative in Tunisia, and Youssef Shazli, Head of Distribution at Misr International Films and supervisor of the restoration and sale of its cinematic library.
The session was dedicated to discussing the issues of restoring and screening classics of Egyptian cinema, and exploring ways to return these immortal works to screens and present them to a new audience. The speakers reviewed the existing efforts in this regard, identifying the obstacles facing preservation processes, in an in-depth dialogue dealing with cinematic memory and the protection of artistic heritage.
The main themes of the session focused on anticipating the future of cinematic heritage, and studying what it takes to restore these treasures to ensure they reach future generations, while highlighting the importance of preserving the visual identity and Egyptian artistic history.
In his speech, actor Hussein Fahmi said: “We have a large number of important Egyptian films that deserve restoration, and preserving this cinematic heritage is an ongoing responsibility; every restored film allows a new generation to reconnect with an important chapter of our artistic history. Classic film directors were exploring the tools of this art, experimenting with compositions, camera angles, and narrative forms. This arouses the interest of the young audience in Egypt, granting them an opportunity to discover the origins of this craft.”
About the Egyptian Pavilion at Cannes
The Egyptian Pavilion is located in the “Pantiero” area overlooking the old port in the French city of Cannes, and comes as a joint initiative between Cairo International Film Festival, the Egypt Film Commission, and El Gouna Film Festival. The pavilion represents an important platform bringing together major Egyptian cinematic institutions to consolidate the Egyptian presence within the global film market, and open horizons for cooperation and co-production.
About Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival is held annually under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, and is classified as one of the most prestigious cinematic events in the Arab world and Africa. It is distinguished by being the only festival in the region registered under Category (A) in the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). The festival represents a major platform to support and evaluate the film industry internationally, and provides a vital space for the convergence of cultures and the exchange of cinematic expertise.
TunisianMonitorNews (Douha Essaafi)
