Longtime friend of Indie Entertainment Media, the management of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) this week announced the 43rd edition will take place from December 1 – 10, 2021, with a gala closing ceremony scheduled for December 9th.
Festival President Mohamed Hefzy comments, “The festival’s programming team and management are thrilled by the challenge that this upcoming edition offers, and we are eager to present a diverse and rich lineup of films and a selection worthy of the festival’s audience that has come to expect more in terms of quality and surprises year after year. During the last three years we did strive to realize our fullest ambitions and utmost success in our offering of programming, and in the various support platforms offered to professionals by Cairo Industry Days, including the Cairo Film Connection which last year offered prizes valued at nearly 250,000 USD to 15 very different quality projects.”
He adds, “Despite the challenges of COVID, film festivals have found a way to adapt and survive, acting as a lifeline for films and filmmakers that have been affected and challenged by the pandemic, including such threats as disrupted productions, and the closure of theaters throughout much of the world. Very few festivals managed to hold a physical edition, and we are proud to say that Cairo was one of them, setting the bar for an even more successful physical edition this year”.
The 42nd edition witnessed the participation of 95 films from more than 40 countries, including 20 world and international premieres, and 10 new Egyptian films for the first time in the festival’s modern history.
Even though social distancing was enforced and capacity was reduced by fifty percent, the festival’s ticket sales reached an impressive 30,000. Despite travel restrictions, CIFF received nearly 200 foreign guests in 2020, many more festival goers were able to participate in online panels, workshops, masterclasses, and Q&A’s.
Some of the highlights of the 42nd edition included the Golden Pyramid Lifetime Achievement Awards presented to Egyptian screenwriter Waheed Hamed and British playwright, screenwriter, and Oscar winner Christopher Hampton, with Egyptian superstar Mona Zaki being honored with the Faten Hamama Prize for Excellence.
The Cairo International Film Festival remains the oldest annually running international film festival in Africa and the Middle East and is one of only 15 film festival worldwide recognized as a competitive category “A” festival by the International Federation of Film Producers (FIAPF).
We look forward to covering the 43rd CIFF!
