30/10/2024 - The upcoming edition of the industry platform will feature projects in both the post-production and the development stages

My Father’s Scent by Mohamed Siam, selected in the Post-Production Phase strand

The 10th edition of the Cairo Film Connection sidebar unspooling within Cairo Industry Days, which will take place 17 – 20 November during the 45th Cairo International Film Festival (13 – 22 November), will once again bring together international producers, financiers, distributors and representatives from funding bodies, sales agents and TV channels, to initiate international co-productions and partnerships with films from the Arab world. The platform provides Arab filmmakers with opportunities to make valuable connections and gain the support necessary to complete their films. Additionally, a jury of esteemed film experts will award selected projects with cash and in-kind prizes. Works from ten Arab countries will be presented, including six from Egypt, two each from Tunisia, Iraq, and Lebanon, and one each from Kuwait, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, and Algeria.

 “To celebrate a decade of supporting Arab filmmakers, we’ve chosen to include one additional project per category in this year’s edition”, said the newly appointed director of Cairo Film Connection, Rodrigo Brum. “This expansion not only reflects the high quality of the submissions but also the diversity of ideas and creative approaches that capture the current dynamics of Arab cinema, both within the region and the diaspora.”

According to Cairo Film Festival President Hussein Fahmy, Cairo Film Connection “benefits the film industry in Arab countries through strong and influential projects backed by the festival", while the festival’s artistic director and critic Essam Zakaria added: “We are proud that the Cairo Film Connection has reached its tenth edition, and over the years, it has provided substantial support to Arab filmmakers, helping them develop and release their films for participation in international forums and festivals. This was evident with several projects from past sessions, such as Inshallah a Boy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Four Daughters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kaouther Ben Hania
film profile], which went on to win three awards at the Cannes International Film Festival.”

The full list of selected projects is as follows:

Post-Production Phase

40 Years of Silence – Maythem Ridha (Iraq)
Thank You Satan – Hicham Lasri (Morocco)
Barcha – Nada Hafaiedh (Tunisia)
You Don’t Die Two Times – Ager Oueslati (Algeria)
My Father’s Scent – Mohamed Siam (Egypt)
Big Boys Don’t Cry – Muhammad Mustapha (Egypt)

Development Phase

All the Colors Blue – Maysaa Almumin (Kuwait)
Dry Sky – Ibrahim Omar (Sudan)
Of Debt and Money – Houssem Sansa (Tunisia)
Ninety – Sixty – Thirty – Hany Yassa (Egypt)
Ayin Hara – Yasir Kareem (Iraq)
Before Now, Later – Karim Kassem (Lebanon)
Exodus – Rasha Shahin (Egypt)
Amal – Khaled Al Swidan (Jordan)
Kohl and Cardamom – Fady Atallah (Egypt)
The North Wind – Eliane Raheb (Lebanon)
Dancing on Fire – Hana Alomair (Saudi Arabia)
My Dream to Fly – Asmaa Gamal (Egypt)