Cairo Film Connection, the professional co-production platform of Cairo International Film Festival, held an online session featuring several Arab filmmakers who participated in its recent editions. During the session, the Connection hosted Dominic Davis, Director of the Sundance Documentary Fund. This aligns with the new strategic vision of the Connection, aiming to transform its activities into a sustainable, year-round program to support Arab filmmakers and provide them with direct access to support platforms and global markets.
In his opening remarks, Dominic Davis said: « I am delighted to be here today with Cairo Film Connection; at the Sundance Institute, we are interested in building sustainable relationships and listening directly to documentary filmmakers from all over the world. We are keen to be present in these platforms to get closer to creators and understand the real challenges they face. The mission of the Sundance Institute is to support artists and help them amplify their voices to audiences. Therefore, I encourage all participating filmmakers to share their aspirations and needs so we can see how our resources and support fund can contribute to advancing their creative journeys. »
Participating filmmakers engaged by asking questions about their projects. Among them was Egyptian director Mayye Zayed, who participated in the 2018 edition with her film project « Lift Like a Girl, » which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020 and won the Bronze Pyramid and Audience Awards at Cairo International Film Festival in the same year. Jordanian director Rand Beiruty, from the 2020 edition, participated with her film project « Tell Them About Us, » which premiered globally at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX) and won several awards.
The session also included Yemeni director Mariam Al-Dhubhani with her project « Let’s Play Soldiers » (2022 edition), Egyptian director Sally Abo Basha with her project « Hush » (2022 edition), Iraqi director Maytham Ridha with his project « 40 Years of Silence » (2024 edition), Egyptian director Asmaa Gamal with her project « Before Now, Later » (2024 edition), and Iraqi director Haider Al-Helou, whose project « Colors of Our Time » won five awards at the 2025 Connection edition.
Mohamed Sayed Abdel Rahim, Director of Industry at Cairo International Film Festival, stated: « This session represents an important step within our vision to develop Cairo Film Connection into a continuous support platform throughout the year, extending beyond the festival days. We believe that providing direct networking opportunities between Arab filmmakers and influential international institutions, such as the Sundance Documentary Fund, opens new horizons for Arab projects and grants them greater opportunities to reach global support networks, funding, and markets. Through these initiatives, we seek to strengthen the relationship with former Connection participants and continue accompanying their projects through various stages, consolidating Cairo’s role as a pivotal platform for supporting and developing independent Arab cinema. »
*About Cairo Film Connection*
Cairo Film Connection is a professional platform dedicated to supporting feature narrative and documentary film projects from the Arab world in the development and post-production stages. The Connection has held 11 editions since its launch in 2010. It has awarded cash and in-kind prizes exceeding $1.6 million in value. Throughout its history, it has selected 166 projects from 15 Arab countries, 50 of which successfully reached their world premieres at major international festivals. During its journey, the Connection supported 62 documentary projects, including films such as « Four Daughters » by Kaouther Ben Hania, « Life After Siham » by Namir Abdel Messeeh, « Sudan, Remember Us » by Hind Meddeb, « Bye Bye Tiberias » by Lina Soualem, and « Diaries from Lebanon » by Myriam El Hajj.
*About Cairo International Film Festival*
Founded in 1976, Cairo International Film Festival is held annually under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. It is one of the oldest film events in the Arab world and Africa. It stands out as the only festival in the region registered under Category A by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). The festival serves as a major platform to support and evaluate the international film industry, providing a vital space for the convergence of cultures and the exchange of cinematic expertise.
