The opening ceremony of the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival was held this evening with the attendance of a large group of art stars and in celebration of the magic of cinema and support for the Palestinian cause and Lebanon
The opening ceremony began with a Palestinian show in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the stage was covered with the Palestinian shawl, and then the atmosphere was ignited with the performance of the song “Palestinian”, and at the end of the show the festival president, the great star Hussein Fahmy, appeared in the middle of the Palestinian band and said that they are all from Gaza and applauded them and thanked him.
After that, Hussein Fahmy gave a speech in which he said: “We celebrate during this session that I am honored to chair and it is a session postponed from last year in solidarity with Gaza and over the years the Palestinian cause was and still is Egypt’s cause because it represents justice and dignity and from my place here I express my solidarity with our brothers in Palestine and Gaza and we will not forget our sisters in Lebanon, the country that has been suffering for years and is going through a difficult test. We stand in solidarity with its people.”
Then, the Minister of Culture, Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno, went up to deliver a speech in which he said: “From the heart of Cairo, the capital of art, civilizations meet and we meet again in the environment of creativity at the Cairo Film Festival, which has become a symbol of the seventh art and has registered its name in letters of light among international festivals to make Egypt among the leaders. Egypt is an incubator for talents, and here we tell our stories and listen to the voice of man through artistic creations from different parts of the world.”
The Minister paid tribute to everyone who has left a mark on this festival since its inception until now, starting with its founder Kamal El Mallakh and up to the great artist Hussein Fahmy, who remains a symbol of fine art. His presence at this festival increases enthusiasm and brilliance, and the Cairo Festival will continue to celebrate creativity and innovation. We will all celebrate its magic and make this session a new chapter of renewal for the oldest festival, “Cairo Film Festival.”
Cairo Film Festival mourned the departed stars in 2024, and Hussein Fahmy said: “Art is present in hardships and crises, and cinema is able to tell stories about people who lived, dreamed and triumphed. There are people we miss, but their works left an impact on us, such as Ashraf Abdel Ghafour, Nahed Farid Shawqi, Salah El Saadany, Essam El Shamaa, Atef Beshay, Hassan Youssef and Mustafa Fahmy.”
During the ceremony, Hussein Fahmy screened restored films from Egyptian cinema classics, including “Qasr El Shawq”, “Bayn El Qasrein”, “El Saman wal Khareef”, “El Haram”, “Shei’ Min El Khawf” and others, stressing that the idea of restoration aims to improve quality and preserve our history and films.
The ceremony was presented by media figure Jasmine Taha Zaki, who said that cinema is one of the most important arts capable of living in every detail of life with all its feelings. There are sweet stories that we enjoy, and there are painful and sad stories. The beauty of cinema lies in seeing stories and bringing us together with all nationalities in front of a giant, magical screen, which is what we will see in the festival’s events in the coming days.
Cairo Film Festival tributes
Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hanno and Festival President Hussein Fahmy honored the head of the festival’s jury, Bosnian director and producer Danis Tanovic.
Afterwards, director Youssef Nasrallah was honored with the Golden Pyramid Lifetime Achievement Award, in appreciation of what he has presented throughout his rich artistic career. He said: “I thank Hussein Fahmy and the minister for nominating me for the award. This year, Egyptian cinema is better in terms of revenues and participation in international festivals. We are the ploughmen of cinema because it is our conscience. I extend my greetings to my Palestinian filmmaker colleagues. At the end of his speech, he thanked cinema.”
After that, the Cairo Festival honored the star Ahmed Ezz by granting him the Faten Hamama Award for Excellence. He said: “About 24 years ago, I was given the choice between continuing my work and starring in my first movie. I chose to enter the field of acting without my family’s approval. While I was filming, the Cairo Festival was going to start and I was waiting for an invitation to the Cairo Festival to make my family happy. I entered the red carpet and no one knew me. The days passed and I came to stand here and be honored and receive an award named after its owner alone, an award from the Minister of Culture and the unparalleled star Hussein Fahmy. Unfortunately, the honor came while my father and mother were not present.”
Ahmed Ezz continued: “The honor is not my effort, it is an honor for everyone who taught me and has done me a favor. I consider the award an incentive for me in the future. I feel that I have not done anything yet and I dedicate this award to the star Adel Emam.”
After that, Hussein Fahmy concluded the ceremony by inviting the audience to watch the opening Palestinian film “Passing Dreams” by director Rashid Masharawi in its world premiere.
The 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival will witness the participation of 190 films from 72 countries in addition to two TV episodes, while the events include 16 red carpet screenings, 37 world premieres, 8 international premieres, and 119 screenings for the Middle East and Africa region.
The Cairo International Film Festival is one of the oldest festivals in the Arab world and Africa and is unique in being the only festival in the Arab and African region registered in Category A with the International Federation of Film Producers in Paris “FIAPF”.
