Hundreds of cinema lovers, Africa celebrities, industry executives and filmmakers from around Africa have arrived in a very warm Luxor City, Egypt, for 6 days of movie watching.
Surrounded with the great Egyptian monuments, and the dazzle of Luxor Temple with its great towering statues that bear witness to the civilization of the ancient Egyptians, the 14th session of the Luxor African Film Festival opened with no big fuzz.
The opening ceremony began with the national anthem of the Arab Republic of Egypt, followed by a due between the Sudanese singer Asia Madani and Hassan Al-Qousi.
Mahmoud Hemeida, the honorary president of the festival, gave a speech, in which he said: This session bears the name of the late star Nour El-Sherif, and for me and for cinema he is the longest-lived star, and I gave him this title because he has been a star since the beginning of his appearance, and the longest-lived star in the film industry and he is the moon of the 14th Egyptian cinema, this festival has a great future because it was able to gather all African filmmakers in Luxor, and the people of the city welcome them with all welcome and generosity.
For his part, screenwriter Sayed Fouad, Founder of the Luxor African Film Festival, said: “Life is unjust and you will not be able to establish justice, so do not take life seriously – Paulo Coelho. Amidst these conflicts, wars, killing and destruction in different parts of our Arab and African lands, as well as outside Africa (Russia / Ukraine), and others, in this cruel and unjust world, cinema is searching for justice, freedom, love and peace. Art alone will not be able to establish justice, but it searches for it, presents it and plays its important role in awareness, goodness and beauty.
Fouad added : “In our fourteenth session, we are working to provide screens for the visions of the African artist who is steadfast in the midst of killing and destruction, holding the embers in order to complete his cycle in extremely harsh and difficult circumstances. Cinema is one of the shores of compassionate humanity, as its role is magnified in these bitter decades. Despite all these events, wars and suffering, we welcome you to the beautiful and ancient Luxor in its most splendid form. Art has a role in all circumstances. Its importance is to express its world, document it and codify it. Enjoy some tender and good times.. and energy and contentment in the embrace of history, we integrate, discuss, love, and enjoy, despite all the circumstances that people are going through now in our turbulent world.. Welcome to all cinema artists from Africa and outside it.
While Azza El-Husseiny, director of the festival, said: “Welcome to the African city of Luxor.. welcoming all attendees.. and emphasizing the great challenges facing the festival and despite that it is able to overcome them.. El-Husseiny also pointed to the importance of the parallel program of events this year and its momentum as it includes 12 artistic workshops based on the festival’s role in serving the community.
In addition, the festival holds a number of seminars and discussions related to the future and present of cinema.. the meeting of the future of African cinema in the digital age.. El-Husseiny also thanked the group of sponsors for the new session, wishing an enjoyable viewing for all attendees.
Al-Husseini, Fouad and Hemida honored a number of stars, namely the Egyptian star Khaled El Nabawy, the Tunisian star Ahmed El Hafyan, the Ghanaian star Akosua Busia, the Senegalese director Moussa Sana Absa, and the Egyptian director Magdy Ahmed Ali.
After being honored, El Nabawy said: “This is a moment of gratitude and appreciation,” and he sent a message to the honoree saying: “Oh beautiful honor, you will not be able to do anything to me and I will not be happy or anything and I do not consider it an appreciation for what has passed, but an appreciation for what is coming, you have not seen anything yet.”
He continued: “Thanks to God first for everything, and gratitude that I was born on the land of Egypt, and Luxor is our country with a great civilization and I am honored to receive the honor inside a monument that is three thousand years old.”
He thanked his family, moved: “Thanks to my mother and father who wanted to educate me and did, and thanks to my mother because without this lady I would not have been here, thanks to my family who attended despite their concerns, and thanks to every critic, journalist and media figure who contributed to the continuation of my journey, thanks to African cinema for this honor.”
He also indicated: “Thanks to the audience without whose presence and appreciation of me by following my work, art would not exist, and this appreciation is not for me personally but for the directors The writers and producers I have collaborated with, along with great actors, are a tribute to them.”
The festival’s president, Sayed Fouad, announced the dedication of the 14th edition to the spirit of the great screenwriter Bashir Al-Deek, the author Atef Beshai, the Moroccan director Tayeb Al-Saddiki, the Mauritanian director Med Hondo, and the Senegalese director Safi Faye.
The jury committees for the festival’s official competitions were also introduced, and they are: in the feature film jury, screenwriter Tamer Habib, director Moussa Sana Absa from Senegal, director Ibrahim Shaddad from Sudan, director Sofia Djama from Algeria, and actress Akosua Busia from Ghana. The short film jury includes screenwriter Ahmed Murad and critic Abdel Karim Oukrim from Morocco, critic Najib Sania from Senegal, South African Andrea Voges, and Sudanese director and screenwriter Amjad Abu Al-Ala.
As for the members of the jury of the Diaspora Film Competition, producer Gaby Khoury, director Amir Ramses, and director of the Nyaf Festival Mahen Bonetti, and the members of the jury of the Student Film Competition Mohamed Shafiq, Mona El-Sabban, and Hesham Gamal.
