The specter of cancellation threatens Egyptian film festivals
«Alexandria Francophone»: We apologize to our guests, we did not find a solution but to postpone
picture
It seems that the specter of cancellation is threatening Egyptian festivals, after the beginning of the fourth wave of the “Corona” virus, which has been hitting hard during the last period.
Fear spread after the cancellation of the Alexandria Francophone Film Festival, which was supposed to open yesterday, in Alexandria, specifically in Sayed Darwish Hall, in the presence of Egyptian stars headed by Hani Salama, who was the guest of honor for the session, and Simon, a member of the jury, in addition to Samir Sabry, the spiritual father of the session. The first, and also in the presence of the Egyptian Minister of Culture, Dr. Enas Abdel Dayem.
All those invited to the festival, including media outlets, artists and filmmakers, were surprised by the announcement by the organizers of the first session of the Alexandria Francophone Film Festival that it had been postponed, for the third year in a row, due to the apology of all foreign guests for not attending.
The festival management issued a statement in which it revealed the postponement of the festival and the reasons that led to that, as it stated in the statement: “To film lovers, makers, audience and critics, our dream for two continuous years has been to establish a qualitative festival for Francophone cinema, which occupies a large area of the international film scene, and we contacted with All local and international bodies in order to support and sponsor the festival, especially since the first sessions of the festivals depend on funding from private bodies, companies and civil society institutions.”
The statement added: "At the time when we found the hands of support extended to us by senior officials, led by the human and artist Professor Dr. Enas Abdel Dayem, Minister of Culture, who remained a strong supporter of the festival, September 11 was set as the date for the launch of the first session of the festival, and hours before the scheduled date, We were surprised by the apology of all foreign guests, members of the jury, honorees and filmmakers, due to the fourth wave of the (Corona) epidemic, and the decision of many countries to follow the complete closure system as a precaution, so we found no way but to postpone the opening session of the festival despite the announcement of its details, over the weeks The past, through various media, confirms the festival’s readiness to come out into the light.”
He continued, "Therefore, we apologize to our guests, filmmakers, critics, Egyptian movie stars and their fans, for having to postpone the festival to another date, which will be set in the coming days, praying to God Almighty to save our country from the epidemic, and to always remain a beacon of arts."
Rumors spread to the El Gouna Festival, which is supposed to be held next October, as well as the Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries in its next session, which will be held from September 25 to October 1, headed by Prince Abaza.
An official source at El Gouna Film Festival denied the existence of any changes in the dates of the new session, which is the fifth, and said that the festival was challenged by the “Corona” virus and after that the Arab festivals did the same, and life was restored to the film industry, and the festival president also confirmed that the festival will be held on time, There is no intention to cancel, and there is great support from the Egyptian state for the festival to come out on time and to the fullest, while following all precautionary measures.
Syrian movies
This year, El Gouna Film Festival will witness honoring Syrian cinema as the festival's guest of honor, and five Syrian films will participate in its various competitions in their world premiere.
The film "The Bishop", directed by Basil Al-Khatib, is participating in the feature film competition, and the film revolves around the life of the rebellious Archbishop Ilan Kabuji of Syrian origin.
The film "The Last Breakfast", directed and written by Abdel Latif Abdel Hamid, is also participating in the feature film competition, and revolves around the love story of a married couple separated by death.
In the short film competition, “The Clothesline,” directed and written by Mohamed Hamaki, will participate, and the film summarizes the suffering of people in the Syrian war.
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news