CIFF to Hold Press Conference Shortly

Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) will hold today, Monday a press conference to announce the details for its 41st edition, which is scheduled to run from November 20 to 29.

The press conference will take place at 12 pm, at the Cleopatra Hall of the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel.

It is scheduled for the festival management to announce the complete lists of films selected for the festival’s various sections as well as details on the workshops and panels.

The 41st edition will be headed by producer Mohamed Hefzy, and hold the name of Youssef Cherif Rizkallah, late critic and CIFF’s artistic director.

"Participating Films"

CIFF will screen over 150 films, which includes 30 that will be world or international premieres.

The festival had announced previously that it will screen Martin Scorcese’s “The Irishman”, co-starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, at its opening night, which will take place at Cairo Opera House on November 20.

This will be the movie's first Middle East and North Africa premiere.

The festival's world and international premieres that are variously distributed among its programme, which includes three world premieres: “Zavera” by Andrei Gruzsniczki from Romania, “The Borders” by David David from Colombia, and “Between Heaven and Earth” by Najwa Najjar, a Palestinian-Jordanian co-production.

It also includes two international premieres: “The Fourth Wall” by Zhang Chong and Zhang BO from China, “The Friendly Man” by Iberê Carvalho from Brazil, and“On the Crossbar” by Sami Tlili, a Tunisia-France co-production.

There are also three world premieres at the Arab Cinema competition: “Beirut Terminus” by Ellie Kamal, a Lebanese-UAE co-production, “For The Cause” by Hassan Benjelloun from Morocco, and “The Women in Block J” by Mohamed Nadif, also from Morocco.

"Honoree"

The festival had previously announced granting the Faten Hamama honorary award to the American-British legend Terry Gilliam and the Egyptian director Sherif Arafa, in addition to granting Egyptian actress Menna Shalaby the Faten Hamama excellence award for her rich cinematic career at its opening ceremony.