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

Image via FCAT

After its success in the Cannes 2023 Festival, the Egyptian short film, I Promise You Paradise by Morad Mostafa, is expanding even further worldwide, spreading its wings and showing the nuances and beautiful complexities of Egyptian cinema. This year, I Promise You Paradise is travelling to Spain to compete in the Festival of African Cinema.

Also known as the Tarifa-Tangier African Film Festival (FCAT), the festival aims to direct the spotlight to the remarkable cinematic universe of Africa in not just the Spanish-speaking world but all around Europe. Beyond shedding light on African works, the FCAT forms a meeting point for African film professionals where they can make long-lasting connections and networks.

Another main objective of the FCAT is one that is very close to our hearts, and that is empowering women. Reserving a minimum quota of 25% of their programme to female-made works, the FCAT does its utmost to support women, especially in such a male-dominated field.

The 21st edition of the FCAT is scheduled for inauguration on the 24th of May, and runs until the 1st of June in both Tarifa, Spain and Tangier, Morocco. Over 30 movies and short films will be screened during the festival this year. From Tunisian and Moroccan movies to Senegalese and Egyptian short films, the festival is guaranteed to be teeming with exceptional talent.

Image via FCAT

During this year’s festival, there will be both competitive and non-competitive sections. The competitive sections are divided into two competitions: Long-Sightedness (for fiction and documentary features) and Shortly (for fiction and documentary shorts).

The esteemed jury members of the FCAT are to present diverse awards to the winning works. From the Best Fiction Feature award to the Best Female Performance, Best Short Film award, the Casa África Film Award, and the Best Documentary Feature Film, the festival leaves none of the top works unnoticed.

Image via FCAT

We have our fingers crossed, pinning our hopes on our Egyptian short film, I Promise You Paradise, to bring home one of the renowned awards. Directed by Morad Mostafa, I Promise You Paradise centres on a 17-year-old African expatriate in Egypt, focusing on his emotional struggles throughout his relentless, continuous attempts to protect and save his loved ones in the aftermath of a violent incident.

For now, all we can do is hope for the best, and that should be easy considering how phenomenal I Promise You Paradise is. It certainly deserves to be dubbed a true masterpiece.

Still from I Promise You Paradise