Coming up this November, the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival gathers industry experts and entertains filmmaking admirers as usual. Here are some of the biggest highlights after yesterday’s press conference:
Cairo International Film Festival’s Role in Filmmaking
Being the oldest film festival in the Middle East and Africa, CIFF is committed to presenting and awarding the efforts and works of independent filmmakers globally, with a sharp focus on current causes and issues affecting the area. This year, CIFF is focusing on Palestine and intends to shed light on Palestinian cinema by amplifying the voices of Palestinian artists and presenting and discussing their works throughout the festival.
CIFF 45th edition: Hussein Fahmy’s Announcements
This year, the festival is scheduled to run from the 13th to the 22nd of November under the presidency of our beloved actor, Hussein Fahmy. A press conference was held yesterday at 1 PM to announce the plans and agenda for this year’s edition. One of the major announcements was Hussein Fahmy announcing the poster of the 45th edition and explaining the meaning behind the artwork; the poster symbolises the passage of cinematic eras and time in front of viewers and the steady movement of cinema without showing any signs of stopping or coming to an end.
He also announced this year’s tributes to Egyptian actor Ahmed Ezz, Egyptian director Yousri Nasrallah, and Bosnian film director and screenwriter Danis Tanovi. Fahmy also showed this year’s trailer for the festival, presenting a sneak peek into this edition’s films.
CIFF Other Major Announcements
Other highlights of yesterday’s press conference were Mohamed Abdelrahim, head of Cairo Industry Days, who announced this year’s masterclasses and conventions. Also, Rodrigo Brum, head of Cairo Film Connection, announced 18 projects from 10 different countries to be shown during the 45th edition. The opening ceremony’s film was chosen as the premiere of Passing Dreams, a Palestinian film.
Passing Dreams
Passing Dreams is a feature-length Palestinian film written and directed by Rashid Masharawi, starring Ashraf Barhom, Emilia Massou, and Adel Abu Ayyash. It follows the story of Sami, a 12-year-old, searching for his lost bird with his uncle and cousin, who’s two years older than Sami. His neighbours told him that the bird might have returned to its hometown. However, they all embark on a journey, hoping to find the lost bird.
The trip extends from a refugee camp in the West Bank to other Palestinian cities, including Bethlehem, the Old City of Jerusalem, and Haifa. Through this journey, we explore the absurdity of reality for Palestinians, how difficult their daily lives are, and how it impacts their identities and relationships with themselves and others.
