Rizkallah to posthumously retain post of CIFF’s artistic director

CAIRO – 5 August 2019: The 41st Cairo International Film Festival scheduled to take place November 20-29, 2019 will be dedicated to Youssef Cherif Rizkallah, the iconic film critic and historian who passed away on July 12, 2019, the festival’s president Mohamed Hefzy announced.

Hefzy stressed that Rizkallah’s decades of work in popularizing and spreading knowledge about a variety of segments of the seventh art possesses an important place in the hearts and souls of cinema followers. He added that the significance of Rizkallah’s work in the field deserves much more than just the dedication of the festival’s 41st edition.

“We have learned the love of cinema from Rizkallah; we hope to continue learning about sincerity, alongside many values that we often miss from Rizkallah,” Hefzy commented.

Many activities will be held to shed light on the late critic's work and he will posthumously retain the festival’s artistic director position that he held since 2000, after joining the festival in 1987 as artistic secretary.

In the festival’s 41st edition, Egyptian critic Ahmed Shawky, the festival’s deputy artistic director, will be the acting artistic director. He will be in charge of all the matters related to this post.

Shawky who acted as the festival’s deputy artistic director over the past years added that he has learned a lot from Rizkallah and that stepping into his place is a great challenge that he is willing to take, together with the whole programming team.

In his statement, Shawky affirmed that together with the festival’s programming team he will do his best to set a programme worthy of Rizkallah’s name.

Following the announcement of Rizkallah being honored by the festival’s 41st edition, his son, writer Ahmed Rizkallah, expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the festival committee.

“My father had a three-decade-long relationship with the Cairo International Film Festival; he was also honored during the festival’s 40th edition. Honoring him this year and with such depth demonstrates the festival president’s and the whole team’s understanding of the important role he played in supporting the festival throughout the years and in spreading the cinema culture in Egypt,” Ahmed Rizkallah elaborated speaking on behalf of the late critic’s family.

Born in 1942, Youssef Cherif Rizkallah completed the Jesuit School and ranked fifth in the secondary school final examination on the national level. He then studied Political Science at the Cairo University graduating with honors in 1966.

Rizkallah dedicated his life to media specializing in film. Following his graduation, he worked at the Egyptian Radio and Television becoming the news editor.

In the 1980s and the 1990s, he was in charge of preparing, co-hosting and hosting several programmes focusing on the seventh art: "Oscar", "Telecinema", "The Magic Lantern", among others. He also chaired the Cairo Film Society between 1978 and 1994.

Throughout his work at the Radio and Television and his writings, Rizkallah raised awareness of cinema among the Egyptians, sharing with them his vast knowledge about this field in Egypt, regionally and internationally. He has also introduced many Hollywood icons to the Egyptian viewers.

Between 1997 and 2002, he was appointed president of the Nile TV Channel and then president of the International Cooperation Sector in the Media Production City (2007 – 2011) and head of the Cinema Authority in the Media Production City (2011 – 2012).

Rizkallah was among the jury members of many renowned international film festivals, including Strasbourg, Milan, Rotterdam and Montpellier Film Festivals. He also served as artistic director of the Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival.