Cairo International Film Festival participated in the activities of the « Belt and Road Film Week, » held on the sidelines of the current edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival. This participation comes as part of Cairo International Film Festival’s membership in the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance since its inception.
Cairo International Film Festival was represented by critic Mohamed Sayed Abdel Rahim, Head of Cairo Industry Days, who attended the meeting of the Belt and Road initiative members. The meeting addressed ways to develop the initiative and mechanisms to further link Cairo International Film Festival with the member institutions.
Abdel Rahim also held a meeting with Ms. Chen Guo, Managing Director of the Shanghai International Film Festival, to discuss expanding cooperation between the two festivals. This includes nominating Egyptian films and filmmakers to participate in upcoming editions of the Shanghai International Film Festival, and working to establish Cairo International Film Festival and Cairo Film Connection as a reliable gateway for the Shanghai International Film Festival to discover new Arab projects and talents. Furthermore, they explored the possibility of organizing a special week for Egyptian cinema during the next edition of the Shanghai festival.
In a related context, Abdel Rahim met with representative of Hua Xia Film Distribution, the largest Chinese company for distributing foreign films in China. He highlighted the significance of Egyptian and Arab films in recent periods, and showcased prominent projects that have won major awards at international festivals, many of which had previously received several awards at Cairo Film Connection. The company’s representative affirmed that Cairo International Film Festival is considered the most important cinematic institution in the Arab region and can serve as a reliable gateway for Arab cinema, projects, and emerging talents.
On the sidelines of the film week, Abdel Rahim held a series of meetings with several Chinese companies working in the film and media industries, including: Wingsight (Shanghai) Culture Media, Shanghai Ranguang Pictures, Spotlight Matrix Media Group, MIMAOKU (Shanghai) Culture & Media, and ITW – Intelligent Tech & Theatre Works.
In a statement, Mohamed Sayed Abdel Rahim, Director of Cairo Industry Days, said: « Our participation in the Belt and Road Film Week represents the continuation of Cairo International Film Festival’s presence in this initiative since its launch, and it is an important opportunity to strengthen communication with Chinese and Asian cinematic institutions. The meetings we held with the management of the Shanghai festival and major Chinese distribution companies open real prospects for nominating Egyptian and Arab films and talents to the Chinese market. We are working to ensure that Cairo International Film Festival and its Film Connection serve as the primary, reliable gateway for discovering these talents, which will enhance the presence of Egyptian and Arab cinema in one of the most important film markets in the world. »
*About Cairo Industry Days*
Cairo Industry Days was launched as a platform dedicated to supporting and developing the film industry in the Arab world and Africa by providing funding, training, and networking opportunities for filmmakers and international experts. It includes several key programs, most notably Cairo Film Connection, Cairo Film Market, and Cairo Pro-Meet.
*About Cairo International Film Festival*
Founded in 1976, Cairo International Film Festival is one of the oldest film festivals in the Arab world and Africa. It is the only Arab and African festival classified as a Category « A » festival by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).
