Shnit festival to kick off October

CAIRO – 30 September 2017: The Shnit Worldwide Short film Festival will be kicking off this year, running from October 18 to 29.

Founded in 2003, the Shnit Festival brings together over 30,000 filmmakers across numerous cities in five continents; a transnational showcasing of over 200 winning short films of varying styles and genres, with thousands of submissions. There are five award categories, including the grand prize; the Flaming Faun.


The Flaming Faun award via shnit.org Facebook


Several Egyptian films have been featured at the festival. In 2015, Mina Magdy's “Ibn Benoot” (Virgin Male), explored sexism in the Arab world by reversing the situations, showcasing a world where women are the dominant class and oppress men instead.



تاكسي (TAXI), by Mariam Abou-Ouf, has also made an appearance. The film follows a female cab driver in Cairo as she tries to make a living through a rather unorthodox career, facing the challenges of a sexist society that can’t imagine a woman in a man’s profession.



Shnit’s Playgrounds are special venues and cities that host the festival, and allow for audience participation. Shnit’s Cairo Playground has helped established Egypt as a formidable force in the world of short films.