Cairo Film Festival hosts 'Arab stars of Tomorrow' initiative

CAIRO - 21 May 2019: Screen International magazine announced the launch of the initiative "Arab Stars of Tomorrow" to discover talents from the upcoming Cairo International Film Festival.

The initiative aims to celebrate Arab talents, shed light on the most prominent actors, directors, writers and filmmakers and help them shine in the international filmmaking industry.

The next edition of the initiative is the third. The two previous editions shed light on ten emerging talents from the region, including Moroccan director Aladdin al-Gem whose first film "The Unknown Saint" is participating in the International Critics Week competition at the current Cannes Festival.

Participants in previous editions of "Arab Stars of Tomorrow" also include directors Mounia Akl (Lebanon), Amgad al-Rasheed (Jordan) and Ayman al-Shatri (Iraq), all whom are currently preparing to shoot their first feature film.

Moreover, the initiative included Egyptian acting talent Ahmed Malek (Sheikh Jackson), Syrian talent Samer Ismail, Palestinian Maria Zureik and Tunisian Mariam al-Farajani, the heroine of the film “Ala Kaf Afreet”.

Screen International Middle East's correspondent Melanie Godfilo will select emerging talents from the region in the coming months to prepare the final list, which will be announced during Cairo International Film Festival set to take place on Nov. 20 - 29.

“We are thrilled to have Screen International’s Arab Stars of Tomorrow program in Cairo. Since its inception in 1976, the festival has provided a platform for presenting Arab talents in directing and acting, many of whom have achieved international success and fame,” said Mohamed Hefzy, president of the Cairo International Film Festival.

“The region is rich with talented, motivated and committed filmmakers. This partnership represents a great opportunity to raise the profile of the regional film industry on the international stage,” continued Hefzy.

“We are very excited to showcase the new achievements and talents coming from the region in collaboration with Screen International,” concluded the festival’s president.

“We are delighted to bring tomorrow's Arab stars to the Cairo Festival, which is very important in the region and the main supporter of Arab talents. Arab Stars of Tomorrow is proudly an initiative of Screen International Magazine. As the Arab cinema industry continues to grow and thrive, Screen International is thrilled to present Arab talents and filmmakers to the international filmmaking industry,” said Editor-in-Chief of Screen International Magazine.

Screen International launched the Stars of Tomorrow initiative in the UK 16 years ago, creating a long record of stars, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Blunt and James McAvoy during the initiative’s first edition in 2004. Screen International is a film magazine shedding light on the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British media company. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global filmmaking business.