The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Though the curtains have come down for another year, the 39th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival has left us with plenty to remember. With several big names making appearances, the discovery of several hidden gems of contemporary cinema and several new features, it’s arguably been the biggest edition yet – but we’ve bid adiue to the region’s biggest film festival with some particular memories…

Celebrity Sightings

Many renowned actors have graced CIFF since its launch in 1976 and this year was no different. Though Liz Hurley was the name on everyone’s lips going into the festival, the likes of Hilary Swank, Nicolas Cage and Adrien Brody also jumped headfirst into the filmic festivities, while Egyptian and Arab stars of course came out in their best threads, too, to make one of the most star-studded editions of the festival.

DMC’s In-Depth Coverage

As the exclusive media partner and sponsor of CIFF, DMC pulled all the stops in providing round the clock coverage of all the happenings of the busy festival – from the red carpet ceremonies, to the awards themselves. One of the true highlights though, was the special red carpet Fashion Police segments, which saw famed fashion designer, Yasmin Yeya, former editor-in-chief of Clue Magazine, Suzanne Thabet, and DMC presenter, Noha Abdelaziz. The segments added a touch of fun to proceedings, while highlighting the glamour of it all.

The Scope of the Films

With 175 films from 53 countries participating in this year’s CIFF, there was more variety and unique filmmaking visions on show than any other year. Take the opening film, for example; Hany Abu-Saad’s tale of survival, The Mountain Between Us, starring two of the best working actors today, Idris Elba and Kate Winslet. By all intents and purposes, it’s a blockbuster – but then consider the often ignored cinema of Australia – this year’s special guest – of which 10 films were screened. This was all padded out with films from all across the world, making this arguably the most eclectic edition of CIFF yet.

The Awards Themselves

The aforementioned scope of the participating films is also reflected in this year’s winners, which also spoke of the unprejudiced standards of the festival. Diamand Abou Abboud picked up the Best Actress Award for her role in Insyriated, while Raouf Ben Amor picked up the men’s equivalent for Tunis By Night. Other major award winners included Leonardo Di Costanzo’s The Intruder being awarded the prestigious Golden Pyramid (Best Film) and Laura Mora Ortega won the Silver Pyramid (Best Director) for her acclaimed film, Killing Jesus. Beyond these top awards, the Cinema of Tomorrow section of CIFF also acknowledged some of the world’s most promising filmmakers – the guys that we’ll be waxing lyrical about over the next decade.

Shadia

Having passed away during the festival on November 28, CIFF moved to dedicate the entire festival to a legend of film (and music, too, for that matter) in Shadia.  Having starred in over 100 films during a storied career, Shadia became an icon of 50s, 60s and 70s Egyptian cinema. But her talent also won the hearts of the whole of the Middle East and CIFF provided a fitting tribute to a true legend.