(11 Nov 2015) AN EMOTIONAL OPENING CEREMONY FOR CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
The 37th Cairo International Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday evening (11 NOVEMBER 2015) at the Cairo Opera House.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Culture Helmy El-Namnam, as well as an array of filmmakers and artists.
An honorary prize, the Faten Hamama Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to Egyptian film star Hussein Fahmy as well as Italian actress Claudia Cardinale.
The Faten Hamama award is granted every year to prominent Egyptian or international film figures for their lifetime contribution to enriching cinematographic art.
In his speech to the audience at the opening ceremony Fahmy said that Egypt is a peaceful country and encouraged tourists to return to Egypt following the recent airliner crash in Sinai.
" I think this is a message to the world that Egypt is a peaceful country you will discover this when you go among the Egyptians and you visit Sharm el-Sheikh and you take a Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan."
The crash of the Russian Airbus 321 just after taking off from the Sinai beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh could wreck the slow revival of Egypt's vital tourism industry after five years of turmoil particularly after Russia and Britain suspended tourism flights, demanding better airport security.
Egyptian authorities have said they are looking at all possible scenarios in the crash, which claimed the lives of 224 people on Oct. 31.
This year, the festival will honor some of the country's greatest actors who recently passed away - including screen legend Omar Sharif, who died in July.
The CIFF will also screen four movies that have been put forward to represent their countries for the Best Foreign Language Film category of next year's Academy Awards.
The first of these movies is "Iraqi Odyssey" by Swiss-based Iraqi film-maker Samir, which will be Switzerland's official submission to the Oscars.
The second is Giulio Ricciarelli's "Labyrinth of Lies" which will represent Germany.
"Our Everyday Life" - the first movie by young director Ines Tanovic - will be Bosnia's submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards, with the fourth movie being the Finnish film "The Fencer," directed by Klaus Haro.
The CIFF concludes on November 20th.
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