17 Arab Feature-Length Films from 10 Different Countries to Contend at CIFF

Landing their African, MENA and International Premieres

17 Arab Feature-Length Films from 10 Different Countries to Contend at CIFF

Samir Faid Festival President of Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), has revealed the list of Arabic films to screen within its 36th edition. Running through November 9 -18, the festival include 17 feature-length films from across 10 countries marking their World, MENA, African and international premieres.

Within its International Competition, the festival hosts world premiere of the Egyptian feature-length film Bab Al-Wadaa by Karim Hanafy. The film will compete against the Emirati film Red Blue Yellow, by Noujom Al-Ghanem, the latter marking its international premiere (outside its country of production). Likewise, Najwa Najjar's Eyes of a Thief will represent Palestine within the competition, landing its MENA premiere at the festival.

The CIFF Special Presentations section hosts the MENA pemiere of two films; Decor by Ahmad Abdalla, and the documentary Silvered Water, Syria Welf-Portrait; co-directed by Ossama Mohammed and Wiam Simav Bedirxan. The film was screened at Cannes Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival, where it won the Grierson Award for the Best Documentary a few days ago. The section also witnesses the world premiere of the Egyptian war film Wall of Heroism by Mohamed Rady. Emirati Ali Mostafa's A to B will also have its international premiere outside the UAE, country of production, within the Special Presentations section. The Emirati film will screen at the opening gala of Abu Dhabi Film Festival this evening.

This year's edition will also host the world premiere of the late Hussein Al-Imam's Zay Oud El Kabreet, his only directorial effort, within the festival's Film on Film section.

In celebration of the 100th birth anniversary of salient director Henry Barakat, the festival's
Classics of Feature Films section showcases a modern adaptation of his cinematic hit Al Haram, which was part of Cannes Film Festival in 1965. The festival also dedicates an exhibition and a catalogue on films by the late prolific filmmaker, in addition to a book highlighting his extensive career.

Adding to its eventful installment, the festival includes Prospects of Arab Cinema Program, organized by the Egyptian Filmmakers Syndicate (EFMS), features 8 films from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania.

The above does not include the shorts that will screen within the festival's program International Cinema of Tomorrow (ICT), organized by the Union Students of the High Cinema Institute in Egypt (USHCI). The list of these films will be revealed soon.