- Title: 38th International Film Festival opens in Cairo
- Date: 16th November 2016
- Summary: EXTERIOR OF CAIRO OPERA HOUSE
- Embargoed: 1st December 2016 14:23
- Keywords: Egypt Cairo film festival
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- City: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA00458P1LJP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The red carpet was rolled out in the Egyptian capital for the opening of the Cairo International Film Festival.
The event, which kicked off on Tuesday (November 15) is focussing on Chinese films and modern Egyptian cinema.
Twenty Chinese films have been selected to be screened at the festival's 38th edition.
Among the Egyptian films to be shown during the 10 day spectacle is critically acclaimed film 'Eshtebak' (Clash), which was nominated in Canne's Un Certain Regard.
"This year we are highlighting Egyptian cinema, aside from the two movies in the competition, there will also be a special section for modern Egyptian cinema, which will include movies that have run in competitions and received awards such as Eshtebak (Clash), Before the Summer Crowds, and Nawara,'' said the festival's artistic director, Youssef Cherif Rizkallah.
Egypt has selected Eshtebak for the Foreign-Language category in next year's Oscars.
The cinematic event opened with a screening of 'A Day for Women', set in an impoverished Egyptian neighbourhood, with a focus on a youth centre that assigns a 'women's only' day for use of their swimming pool.
The film is Egyptian Director Kamla Abou Zekri's fifth feature, and looks at the struggles and societal pressures of Egyptian women in society.
The film features prominent Egyptian actors, including Nahed el-Sebai, who attended the festival's opening ceremony.
"I am participating in the festival with the movie 'A day for women' and I'm delighted that this film will open the festival, because it means that people really liked the film," she said.
During the festival's opening event Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke was awarded the Faten Hamama award of excellence, which was launched in last year's edition of the festival, to honour artistic contributions to cinema.
Hamama, a prominent Egyptian movie star died in January 2015.
Seventy-five guests representing 32 countries will attend the ten-day event, where some 200 movies will be screened.
The festival runs from November 15th to the 24th November. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
