37th ALEXMCFF to Kick off Tonight

The 37th Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival (ALEXMCFF) will kick off tonight.

Chaired by Al-Amir Abaza, the festival will host more than 60 guests from various Mediterranean countries. In addition, the total number of participated films are 84 from 16 countries in all various competitions.

24 films will take part in the official competition from Morocco, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia, France, Greece, Lebanon, Spain and Syria.

On the other hand, 60 films will compete in the festival’s short films section from Palestine, Romania, Tunisia, Algeria, France, Morocco, Greece, Italy and Lebanon, Slovenia and Syria.

Regarding Nour Al-Sharif Competition for Arabic Feature Films, it will face the participation of nine films from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia. In addition, 36 is the number of Alexandria Students Film Competition participants.

The festival will screen four films directed by Luis Buñuel: Veridiana, The Destroyed Owner, Simon Al Amoudi, and an Andalusian Dog, in addition to two films directed by Angelos Frantzis: Ephtgeia and A Stagnant River.

Regarding the Greek Program, only three films will be displayed.

It is worth mentioning that the 37th edition will celebrate the first film screening event in Egypt on its 125th anniversary.

The 125-year-old film was a silent feature directed by worldwide famed filmmakers Auguste and Louis Lumière (Lumière Brothers). It was screened on January 6 in 1896.

The celebration will include displaying a documentary film about Lumière Brothers and their cinema contributions.

Directed by Ahmed Atef, and produced by the Cultural Development Fund, the film contains various modern and old scenes about the two filmmakers and the cinema scene in Egypt, alongside valuable documentary shots.

The film was produced in 1995 on the occasion of the Egyptian cinema’s 100th anniversary, and it was screened at several international cinema acts.