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For film buffs and movie fanatics, we'd have to mark this November as special. One, the 41st edition of Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) will be kick-starting. Two, one week later, Netflix will be dropping Martin Scorsese's highly anticipated crime film, The Irishman. But if we tell you that it gets extra special with these two combined? Are you ready for some great news? *drum-rolls* CIFF just announced that the Middle Eastern premiere of The Irishman will be taking place at the festival's opening ceremony on the 20th!

The film, directed and produced by Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, is based on Charles Brandt's novel, "I Heard You Paint Houses". The events follow the story of Frank Sheeran's journey from being a truck driver to a top mob hitman. The Irishman stars Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.

“We are extremely excited to be raising the red curtain of the festival with the epic masterpiece from one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, the genius that is Martin Scorsese," CIFF President Mohamed Hefzy said. 

According to Hollywood Reporter, 150 features and shorts from 63 countries will be participating in the prestigious 10-day festival. Those will include 30 world premieres and 20 films from the MENA region.

Egypt has always been known to be a powerhouse when it comes to the filmmaking industry in the region. CIFF is not just one of the oldest annually running film festivals in the Arab world and the MENA region, but also the only internationally accredited one. It's one of the 15 festivals that were granted the category A status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.