Today, Wednesday, November 19, as part of the 46th Cairo International Film Festival, the Short Film Program (5) will be screened at 3:00 PM on the Grand Theatre stage at the Cairo Opera House. The program features four short films from Asia, Europe, and the Arab world, spanning narrative, animation, and documentary genres. These films reveal rich narrative and visual experiences reflecting the diversity of contemporary cinematic voices.
The Short Film Program (5) includes the following works:
The Departed – Directed by Kong Junying (China | 21 minutes | Narrative)
The film explores a spiritual dimension in a warm narrative blending reality and absence. As the Chinese « Qingming » festival approaches, a man can see his deceased relatives with only one eye. During the rituals, living family members gather with the departed in a visual experience evoking the complex relationship between memory, longing, and farewell.
Autocar – Directed by Sylvia Szkwiag (Poland, Belgium, France | 17 minutes | Animation)
Through delicate animation, the film tells the journey of eight-year-old Agata, who leaves Poland in the 1990s for Belgium. Through her eyes, the reality of migration becomes a discovery of new selves, blending the pain of departure with the beginning of a life full of hope.
The Last Miracles – Directed by Abd El-Wahab Shawky (Egypt, Sudan, Germany | 19 minutes | Narrative)
The film follows Yahya, a fortysomething editor facing professional reprimand after mistakenly writing the name of a revered Sufi sheikh. But events take a mysterious turn when Yahya receives a call from the deceased sheikh inviting him to meet, embarking on a spiritual journey that ends unexpectedly, exploring questions of faith and the search for truth.
Window Shot – Directed by Hussein Jalilvand (Switzerland | English | Documentary | 29 minutes)
The film offers a visual reading of history through rare cinematic archives from 1950s Kenya, where footage of settlers’ homes turns into a window onto the Mau Mau uprising. The work reveals how Western cinema portrayed anti-colonial resistance as « evil, » despite it being a legitimate struggle for freedom.
About Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival is one of the oldest festivals in the Arab world and Africa, and one of the most prestigious international festivals accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). Founded in 1976, it is held annually under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The festival is committed to combining artistic and professional dimensions, making it a primary platform for intercultural dialogue and enhancing the presence of Arab cinema on the international stage.
