SIFF dedicates its 2nd edition honoring late Aly Abu Shady

CAIRO – 17 February – 2018: Sharm El-Sheikh International Film Festival will be dedicating its its 2nd edition to the late great cinema critic Aly Abu Shady who died on Friday, February 16. The Festival’s second edition is to run between March 3- 9.

The honorary president of the festival Egyptian star Laila Elwy suggested this dedication and the Egyptian journalist and festival head, Gamal Zayda accepted it. The festival chose the famed Egyptian actress Rania Youssef to be one of the festival’s jury members.

Expressing her pride for that choice, Youssef stated in a press release on Saturday that she is eager to cooperate with the prominent Egyptian, Arab and foreign filmmakers who will participate in the 2nd edition of the festival.

Zayda previously announced that the festival poster was designed by the great artist Essam el-Mallah. The festival management aims through this poster to highlight all the characteristics of Sharm El-Sheikh, and it’s efforts in being open to the whole world politically, economically and culturally, according to Zyada.

The poster design reflects the objectives of the festival, which seeks to establish a successful cultural event in a dazzling coastal city like Sharm El-Sheikh that shares the same features with Venice and Cannes that host two of the most prestigious festivals in the world; the Venice and Cannes film festivals. This edition will also witness the participation films produced by students of the high institute of cinema.

The Awards of the Sharm El-Sheikh Film Festival are divided into two sections:

Awards for Arab and European feature films:


1-The GOLD DJED Pillar will be awarded to the director of the best film.

2-The SILVER DJED Pillar, the jury’s special award, will be awarded to the director.

3- The BRONZE DJED Pillar will be awarded to the director of the best 1st film.


Awards for Arab and European short films:


1- The GOLD DJED Pillar will be awarded to the director of the best film.

2- The SILVER DJED Pillar, the jury’s special award, will be awarded to the director.

The Djed pillar is an ancient Egyptian symbol for stability in the form of God Osiris's backbone.

Sharm El-Sheikh Film Festival is an annual event organized by Noon Foundation for Culture and Arts with the contribution of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture as well as public and private organizations in Egypt and Europe.

The festival aims to raise cinematic awareness and promote distinguished audio and visual works through the screening of nearly 60 international and Arab films, allowing filmmakers in the Arab world and Europe to establish a mutual dialogue, exchange experiences and open new markets for Arab, European and American films.

Noon Foundation aims to open channels of exchange in all cultural and artistic fields between Egypt and the world, and disseminate better knowledge of the other through the organization of cultural and cinematic events in Egypt and in different countries of the world.