The 42nd Cairo Int'l Film Festival to screen 84 movies

2020-11-16 16:05:37 GMT2020-11-17 00:05:37(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

CAIRO, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 42nd edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) will feature 84 long and short movies from 43 countries, said Mohamed Hefzy, the CIFF's president in a press conference on Monday.

Some 20 world premieres will be screened in the CIFF that is scheduled to be held from Dec. 2 to Dec. 10 at the Cairo Opera house.

"The festival's programming team is proud to debut a selection of the most anticipated films of the year despite many difficulties that we have faced due to the COVID-19," Hefzy said.

The 42nd CIFF will follow the World Health Organization precautions to ensure safety for the festival's guests and audience, Hefzy added.

Egypt resumed the entertainment and cultural activities in July after four months of closure amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

Film festivals around the world face huge challenges and many have been canceled because of the pandemic, he said, adding that the continuation of the festivals will boost the cinema industry.

The festival's international competition includes three films marking their world premiere, including Mo Er Dao Ga by Chinese director Cao Jinling, German Lessons by Bulgarian director Pavel G. Vesnakov, and Curfew by Egyptian director Amir Ramses.

The festival this year has paid attention to the contribution of females in the film industry after choosing 21 works of female directors, he added.

The poster of the CIFF portrays Isis, a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who collected 42 parts of her beloved bodies according to an ancient myth, carrying enlightened 42 small pyramids over the Nile River to celebrate the resumption of cultural events in Egypt, he explained.

Established in 1976, the CIFF will honor Christopher Hampton, a British playwright, screenwriter and film director, Waheed Hamid, Egyptian screenwriter, and Mona Zaki, Egyptian actress. Enditem

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