Egypt’s Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouda Hano opened the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) on Wednesday evening. The opening ceremony displayed special support for the Palestinian cause and Lebanon.
The ceremony, which runs as far as November 23, began with a Palestinian show, aiming to show solidarity with the cause. The stage was covered with the Palestinian shawl. Soon the atmosphere heated up with the performance of the song “Palestinian.”
At the end of the show, CIFFPresident Hussein Fahmy, interceded with the Palestinian band, saying they all came from Gaza. He greeted them with warm and long applauded.
“This 45thedition was postponed from last year, in solidarity with Gaza. Over the years, the Palestinian cause has been and remains the Egyptian cause because it represents justice and dignity,” Fahmy said.
“I express my solidarity with our brothers in Palestine and Gaza. We will never forget our brothers in Lebanon, a country that has been suffering for years,” Fahmy added in his statement in the opening ceremony.
During the ceremony, Hussein Fahmy screened restored films from the classics of Egyptian cinema, including “Qasr Al-Shouq”, “Bein Al-Qasrain”, “The Quail and the Autumn”, “El Haram ”, “Something of Fear” and others. He stressed that restoration aims to improve quality and preserve “movies and history”.
Fahmy concluded the ceremony by inviting the audience to watch the opening Palestinian film “Fleeting Dreams” by director Rashid Masharawi in its premiere.
“From the heart of Cairo, the capital of art, we meet again at the Cairo Film Festival, which has become a symbol of the 7th art. Egypt is an incubator for talents, and here we tell our stories and listen to the human voice through artistic creations from various parts of the world,” Minister Hano told the ceremony.
The 45th edition of the Cairo Film Festival will screen 190 films from 72 countries, in addition to two television episodes, while the activities include 16 red carpet screenings, 37 international premieres, 8 international premieres, and 119 screenings for the Middle East and Africa.
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