The Egyptian Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival hosted today a panel discussion titled « Who is Watching? Bringing Your Film to Egypt and the Arab World, » with the participation of Mohamed Tarik, Artistic Director of Cairo International Film Festival, Andrew Mohsen, Artistic Director of El Gouna Film Festival, and Palestinian director Mohanad Yaqubi.
The session discussed the reality of screening independent films in Egypt and the Arab world, and raised questions about the identity of the Egyptian audience and how to reach them. The discussion focused on available exhibition spaces and festivals, the content the audience looks forward to, and what it actually takes to ensure films are screened, offering a candid dialogue for filmmakers at all professional stages.
In his speech during the session, Mohamed Tarik, Artistic Director of Cairo International Film Festival, said: « The festival represents a lifeline for filmmakers and the film’s journey, which is why we invite other festival programmers and industry professionals who are capable of discovering films and bringing them to different audiences. This is vital, specifically for Arab and Egyptian films. »
He added that independent and alternative cinema now has a greater ability to reach diverse generations, breaking the prevailing assumptions that have confined commercial success to comedy and romantic works for many years. He emphasized that the audience is now strongly supporting various cinematic experiences, which is clearly reflected in the success of films like « Rambo » and their good revenues. The hardest task right now is finding the sweet spot between an artistic film’s quality and its commercial success.
Artist Hussein Fahmi, President of Cairo International Film Festival, explained that the nature of the audience varies and diversifies even within the same country, encompassing different levels of ages, culture, and education. This makes it imperative for filmmakers to speak in a highly diversified language and to clearly understand the nature of the message they are delivering, while maintaining the element of entertainment that the viewer seeks.
He pointed out the strong impact of social standards and economic situations on the recipient’s subconscious, noting that a director might make a very good film, yet the audience refrains from watching it in theaters due to being affected by these conditions. Making and screening a film takes a period ranging from six months to a year, which is enough time for many social and economic changes to occur, automatically reflecting on how the audience receives the work.
*About the Egyptian Pavilion at Cannes*
The Egyptian Pavilion is located in the « Pantiero » area overlooking the old port in the French city of Cannes, and comes as a joint initiative between Cairo International Film Festival, the Egypt Film Commission, and El Gouna Film Festival. The pavilion represents an important platform bringing together major Egyptian cinematic institutions to consolidate the Egyptian presence within the global film market, and open horizons for cooperation and co-production.
*About Cairo International Film Festival*
Cairo International Film Festival is held annually under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, and is classified as one of the most prestigious cinematic events in the Arab world and Africa. It is distinguished by being the only festival in the region registered under Category (A) in the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). The festival represents a major platform to support and evaluate the film industry internationally, and provides a vital space for the convergence of cultures and the exchange of cinematic expertise
