Egypt's culture ministry has announced the launch of the new Cairo Francophone Film Festival (CFFF), scheduled to take place between 10 and 14 December 2020.
The CFFF was founded and is presided over by film critic Yasser Moheb, who reveals that the festival will be organised with the participation and support of the international TV5Monde network, in addition to many cultural and cinematic entities and members of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (IOF).
The aim of the festival is to promote artistic links between people, open new and effective channels of discussion, and provide an opportunity for cultural and cinematic exchange. The festival will include film screenings, meetings of the professionals, masterclasses and workshops with the renowned filmmakers.
According to Moheb, more than 40 films have been submitted since the call announcement earlier this month. The selection committee will continue viewing the submissions until November, with the official line-up of the festival and its programme of activities yet to be revealed.
According to the CFFF's management, the events will take place mostly in open-air locations in accordance with the international standards set for organising public events amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The main competition will include films produced by the International Organisation of La Francophonie, which has been working in the field since 2019, supporting production of long feature films created by the filmmakers from the IOF member countries.
In addition, another competition will take place featuring documentary and short fiction films.
The IOF was established in 1970 with its first secretary-general, Egyptian politician and diplomat Boutros Boutros Ghali, who also served as the sixth secretary-general of the United Nations (1992-1996). The IOF members comprise 88 countries and governments.
According to the CFFF's management, the inaugural festival will be held without resorting to financial support from the state, in order to avoid placing financial burdens on the country.
In November 2019, the Higher Committee for Festivals, headed by Ines Abdel-Dayem, Egypt's minister of culture, approved the launch of the Alexandria Francophone Film Festival, which was scheduled to take place in June 2020 in Alexandria.
However, due to the shutdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, this festival was not held.
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