40 Arabic films in Zawya's Cairo International Film Festival

CAIRO – 29 April 2017: Art-house cinema Zawya will host an Arab film festival, Cairo Cinema Days (Ayam Al Qahera Al Cinema’ya), May 9-16 to “bring life to Arab independent productions from the region.”

The festival’s program showcases 40 films in five sections from 10 Arab countries, including Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Jordan.

Zawya’s director, Youssef Al-Shazly, said organizing the Cairo Cinema Days is like “a small-scale gala that is interested in everything from cinema and workshops to filmmakers.”

Among the Egyptian films to be shown in the festival is feature-length film "Suicide Moments" directed by Iman Al-Najjar, who participated in the third session of the Arab Cinema Horizons Competition on the sidelines of the 38th Cairo International Film Festival. Short film "One Week and Two Days" by Marwa Zain, who participated in the "Muhr Al-Qaseer" contest of the 13th session of the Dubai International Film Festival, will also be screened.

“Zeinab Hates the Snow,” a movie by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, deals with a domestic family drama that demonstrates the director’s consistent thematic interest in socio-cultural issues. The film has already been reaping critical plaudits for its poignant storyline.

The documentary film section will include "Business As Usual" by Alex Bastra and Lebanese film ”Tramontane,” which previously participated in the "Muhr Al Taweel" competition in Dubai after its world premiere during the Critics' Week season at the Cannes Film Festival. The film depicts the trials and tribulations of a blind young man named Rabie set against the backdrop of provincial Lebanon.

"We handpicked these films last February,” Shazly said. “We watched a wide range of films and chose between a number of excellent Arab films," he said, adding that the films were not limited to a particular genre which he said was important for quality.

The program will also feature a film criticism workshop run by Tunisian critic and writer Taher El-Sheikhawy. The workshop will deal with the basics of film presentation, the management of cinematic debates and the skills necessary for them as well as a series of seminars and discussions with filmmakers.

Zawya cinema was established in 2014 by Misr international films (MIF) as the first art-house cinema in Egypt, located in downtown Cairo’s Odeon cinema. Zawya’s program focuses on local independent films to encourage and promote the work of young Egyptian and Arab filmmakers. Zawya has screened a diverse range of films from different parts of the world including short films, documentaries, features, and experimental works, according to their website.