Egypt’s Cairo Film Festival calls for submissions for Cairo Film Connection

CAIRO - 20 July 2020:  The 42nd edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) announced on Monday that the Cairo Film Connection, the co-production market, is now open for submissions until August 4, 2020, via the Festival’s website.

It is the seventh year, the Cairo Film Connection has provided support for Arab filmmakers to secure funding and partnership opportunities, helping around 100 films from the region bring compelling and exciting stories to audiences around the world.

To be eligible for submission to the Cairo Film Connection, projects must be directed by filmmakers of Arab nationality or origin. The project must be a work of feature-length fiction or non-fiction in development or post-production phase. The director of the project must have previously directed a minimum of one film, short or feature-length.

Cairo Film Connection is held as part of Cairo Industry Days, the industry platform of the Cairo International Film Festival running in partnership with Arab Cinema Centre, which brings industry professionals from around the world to engage in a programme of masterclasses, panel discussions, and events designed to inspire, highlight and support filmmaking talent from the region.

CIFF’s President, writer-producer Mohamed Hefzyexplained, “The COVID-19 crisis has had a huge impact on the filmmaking industry, and programs like the Cairo Film Connection are more important than ever as we face unprecedented challenges. The festival strives to support and champion new and exciting voices of which there is a huge pool in the Arab world. Working together with our partners and sponsors, we are looking to expand our support during the 42nd edition."

In 2019, the Cairo Film Connection, managed by Meriame Deghedi, provided financial support of over $200,000 to filmmakers behind the shortlisted projects who have the opportunity to secure funding for their projects and gain exclusive access to leading international and regional professionals to help them develop their projects.

Aliaa Zaky, head of Cairo Industry Days, said, “Cairo Industry Days has an even more crucial role to play this year due to the global pandemic; many international film events which play an important role in supporting films have been modified or postponed. Cairo Film Connection is an important lifeline to filmmakers and ensures that these extraordinary projects come to fruition. We are working with our partners to deliver a rich, accessible, and diverse industry program of which some elements will be delivered digitally in parallel with its key events that will be held at the Festival’s location."

The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) recently confirmed that it will hold its 42nd edition from November 19-28, 2020, ensuring that all the necessary safety precautions are taken and guidelines from the Egyptian government and the World Health Organizationare followed to ensure safety for the festival’s team, participating filmmakers, and the audience.

Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is one of the oldest cultural events in Africa and the Middle East, and is the only festival in Africa and the Middle East to be accorded category “A” status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in Paris.