Festival, Championing « Rock, Paper, Sea » in the « Fantastic 7 » Initiative* April 22, 2026 The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is pleased to announce its continued collaboration in the « Fantastic 7 » initiative, a joint effort between the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival and the Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, aimed at supporting and promoting genre film projects worldwide. This year, CIFF has selected the film project « Rock, Paper, Sea » by director Randa Ali to represent it at this important event. This selection comes as the project represents a development in genre cinema within the Arab region. It blends a coming-of-age journey with elements of mystery, relying on tools of magical realism and psychological tension, which highlights the strength of its innovative narrative structure. The initiative annually relies on the selection of seven international film festivals to nominate a genre film project to be showcased in Cannes during the Marché du Film. The creators of these projects have an exceptional opportunity to present their work in a live pitching session in front of a select group of investors, distributors, and sales agents, opening direct communication channels with top global industry experts to secure necessary support and bring these projects to light. Today, the Cannes Marché du Film page announced the distinguished lineup for the 2026 Fantastic 7 initiative, comprising seven leading global film festivals: SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara (FICG), Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), SXSW Film & TV Festival, and Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). The announcement indicated that this year’s selections dive into the realms of unsettling transformations, covering diverse themes from mysterious disappearances and post-apocalyptic survival experiments to chaos, cults, and supernatural phenomena. The live pitching session for these projects will take place in Cannes on May 17 at Palais K at 12:00 PM. Hussein Fahmy, President of the Cairo International Film Festival, stated: « We are proud to be present at this global gathering. Supporting young talents and their innovative projects represents the core of our vision at the festival, and the film ‘Black, White, and Colors’ expresses a unique artistic vision that deserves to reach broad international horizons. Our belief in the capabilities of Arab filmmakers always drives us to provide platforms that enable them to meet key players in the global film industry, achieving our goals of supporting creativity and pushing it toward excellence. » Today, the Cairo Film Connection is a trusted destination for all those interested in Arab cinema. Over the past fifteen years, the Connection has successfully presented a group of the most important films screened at major international festivals and won prestigious awards. This success reflects the accuracy of the festival’s selections and its ability to foresee talents that leave a clear mark on contemporary cinema, constantly directing the attention of industry experts toward the projects the festival supports. *About the Cairo International Film Festival* The Cairo International Film Festival is held annually under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and is classified as one of the oldest cinematic events in the Arab world and Africa. It stands out as the only festival in the region registered in Category (A) by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). The festival represents a major platform for supporting and evaluating the international film industry, providing a vital space for the convergence of cultures and the exchange of cinematic expertise.
