Cairo International Film Festival Grants French Intellect Jack Lang the Naguib Mahfouz prize "The Golden Pyramid Award"

Back to Press Releases

Cairo International Film Festival Grants French Intellect Jack Lang the Naguib Mahfouz prize "The Golden Pyramid Award"


Samir Farid, notable Film Critic and Festival President of the 36th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), has announced that high-browed French intellect Jack Lang has been selected to be awarded the Naguib Mahfouz Prize "The Golden Pyramid Award" at the 36th CIFF, which runs from November 9-18, 2014.

Jack Lang is one of the eminently significant French politicians and intellectual figures, whose open-minded cerebral vision transgresses Francophone speculation; craving for worldwide knowledge. He is currently Chairman of the Institute of the Arab World in Paris, which supports cultural exchange with the Arab world.

Jack Lang's voluminous record includes a slew of culturally-inclined books such as "The State of Theatre". Furthermore, thanks to Lang, the cultural event "La Fete de la Musique" (French for The International Music Day) was initiated and has become a world-widely celebrated event every year on June 21st. He is also the founder and producer of Festival du Monde in Nancy, France, and became the director of Nancy University Theatre from 1963 to 1972. He then became director of the Théâtre National de Chaillot from 1972 to 1974. Lang was also the co-founder of the Union of the Theatres of Europe and Jury President at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival.

Born on September 2nd, 1939, Lang served as France's Minister of Culture, during Francois Mitterand's tenure, for two rounds respectively; (1981- 1986) and (1988 - 1992). Concurrently, he held the position of Minister of Higher Education from 1992 to 1993 and was appointed by former president Jacques Chirac in the same position from 2000 to 2002. In the late 1990s, Lang was a member in the EuropeanParliamentLang was also appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon as a Special Adviser on Legal Issues and held a position as a Professor of International law for 10 years from 1971 to 1981. Lang is also the former Mayor of Blois from 1989 to 2000, in addition, he was a member of the French National Assembly for Loir-et Cher for two rounds.