In an interview with The Film Verdict, CIFF Director Essam Zakaria discusses the Cairo International Film Festival’s adaptations following its postponement last year. Zakaria details changes in media strategy, including asking journalists to cover their flights while CIFF handles accommodations, allowing for greater press coverage and partnerships. This year’s edition also expands its reach by partnering with Vox Cinemas to include venues in New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed, ensuring access beyond central Cairo.
Program adjustments include new awards for Arab films and a focus on Palestinian cinema, highlighted by the opening film, Passing Dreams by Rashid Masharawi. Zakaria has also reinstated the Cairo Film Market to strengthen regional collaboration. Additionally, CIFF debuts the Short Film Panorama to showcase Egyptian shorts outside of competition, while a classic film program presents restored Egyptian cinema, broadening the festival’s commitment to local and international engagement.
TFV: This year’s program includes a diverse collection of films from Africa, Asia, China, India, Canada, and the Arab world, with special attention on Palestine. How did you proceed with this goal in your programming?
EZ: This is supposed to be the norm for film festivals—to be a window on different cultures, countries, and cinemas. Film festivals in Egypt should be an important destination for people to go and understand other perspectives and cultures. Even with the availability of online streaming platforms, the way different countries are presented is more or less the same. You will see that Hong Kong is like Latin America, which is like Africa. But locally made films offer a perspective that is unique and alternative. These are the voices we want to invite for the Egyptian audience to watch, because they will not see them anywhere else.
TFV: With several prominent film festivals now highlighting Arab cinema, did the Cairo Film Festival face challenges in securing high-quality films for its Arab cinema program this year?
EZ: The Cairo Film Festival’s Arab cinema program this year is particularly strong, possibly the best selection we’ve had so far. Rather than seeing other festivals as competition, we view the current wealth of outstanding Arab cinema as an opportunity.
This year, we also restructured our Arab cinema awards to clarify and expand recognition. Previously, the Best Arab Film Award covered all Arab films in the festival, alongside awards in the Horizons of Arab Cinema competition, which created some confusion. Now, we have introduced new financial awards specifically for Arab feature films, with the competition open to all Arab films, whether they appear in the international competition or the redefined Horizons program, which is now a curated showcase rather than a competition.
We’re also highlighting Palestinian cinema this year. With Rashid Masharawi’s Passing Dreams as our opening film, we’ve dedicated awards, screenings, and events to amplify Palestinian voices, ensuring their stories remain central throughout the festival.
TFV: This year, contrary to previous editions, there are films from Iran and Turkey. In previous years, there was almost a silent, unofficial cultural boycott of these countries in Egypt. Also, this year there are Russian films, which have been officially banned from several festivals in Europe. What is your stance regarding boycotting?
EZ: We have Turkish, Iranian, and Russian films in this edition. I believe that in culture, there is no boycott of intellectuals and artists because in most cases, they are on the political left of their governments. We can boycott governments if they are committing genocide or illegal acts. But artists are also under pressure from their governments. Unfortunately, European festivals and academic institutions have fallen into the trap of boycotting Russian films, but I am not going to do the same. The same goes for Turkey and Iran, with the exception of Israel, as we have had an official and popular boycott for a long time.
TFV: Some of the festival’s films will be screened at Vox Cinemas, which are outside of Downtown Cairo. Was this a decision to go outside the gates of the Cairo Opera House where the festival is being held?
EZ: Certainly. I personally started attending this festival when a popular cinema in downtown Cairo started to screen films from the festival. The idea that the festival is inside the walls of the Opera House only is against the main objective of any festival, which is targeting the locals and inhabitants of the city. Festivals are not made for intellectuals, film workers, or foreign filmmakers who can watch these films anytime at many events, but essentially for the locals. Screening the films at Vox was an attempt to keep up with the ever-expanding Cairo. It is becoming difficult to move from the outskirts of the city or from the east or western sides to downtown. We decided to take the films to them. We chose Heliopolis and 6 October City. Looking ahead, we’re planning further expansion into Cairo’s other neighborhoods and even beyond the city, continuously adapting to audience feedback to shape future editions of the festival. In addition to our iconic venues like Cairo Opera House, Zamalek Cinema, and the Ewart Hall at the American University, we’ve partnered with Vox Cinemas to bring screenings to New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed, ensuring greater accessibility for audiences across the city.
TFV: You introduced a new program just for Egyptian shorts. Can you talk about the strategy behind it?
EZ: This edition, we’ve launched the Short Film Panorama, a program focused on showcasing Egyptian short films. Although these films are not part of the competition, they offer a crucial platform for emerging Egyptian filmmakers. With the limited number of short films in competition and the few venues available, festivals like ours are key to giving these works the exposure they need. This initiative not only supports local talent but also helps ensure their work is seen by a wider international audience.
