Just a few days before the opening of the 45th Cairo International Film Festival (13-22 November), we sat down with its artistic director, Essam Zakarea, who shared how he managed the organisation of this edition after last year’s event was cancelled owing to Israel's war on Palestine. He also provided insights into the programme, including recommendations for notable Egyptian classics.

Cineuropa: You stepped into this new role after some major events that took place last year. Was it difficult to prepare the 45th iteration of this important event?
Essam Zakarea: Well, yes! The main challenge was to settle matters from the previous edition artistically and financially because the sponsors had withdrawn. We had to pay the people who worked at the last edition as well. We also had to contact the jury members and honorary guests to confirm their availability for the next edition. Most of them agreed. I didn’t want to change anyone who was already involved, so we reached out to ensure they were aware and could confirm their participation. Of course, all of this was time-consuming.

We also had to handle the films. Many of the already-confirmed titles from the cancelled edition had already participated in other festivals or were no longer suitable. So, we reopened submissions and began selecting new movies. But some filmmakers kept their works specifically for our festival as world premieres – mostly shorts. Among the features, Mira Shaib insisted on showing her film Arzé for the first time in the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition – it’s a co-production between Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Had you already been appointed as the artistic director for the cancelled edition, or did the offer come afterwards?
I stepped in afterwards, in May, after Ramadan. I only had about six months to prepare. Before that, I was the head of the Ismailia Documentary Film Festival, which ended in April, and then I started for Cairo in May. It was a challenging situation that I had to manage, but I’d had some experience with organisational fluctuations and uncertainties. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we postponed events several times. I am used to managing delays, as one edition in Ismailia took over two years to complete.

Apart from the Palestinian focus, which is central to the festival this year, what other highlights from the programme would you emphasise?
We have expanded the Horizons of Arab Cinema section, including many world premieres and showcasing new talents. We aimed to find not only films featured at major festivals, but also new discoveries. We focused on selecting films that are artistically valuable and emotionally resonant, with stories that engage audiences. One movie I like a lot is Vittoria [+lee también:
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There are two Russian films in the official selection – Postmarks in the International Competition and Endless Winter in the International Panorama sidebar. What is your stance on the current Western boycott of Russian cinema?
I don’t believe in cultural boycotting. Filmmakers and intellectuals are distinct from their governments, and often advocate for freedom and justice. Rejecting them based on politics is counterproductive. For example, at Venice, there was a petition to boycott Israeli films, but the Israeli director Amos Gitai, for example, who lives in Paris, opposes the regime. It wouldn’t make sense to boycott someone like him.

During the press conference, you also highlighted the classic films included this year. What is not to be missed?
The classics section is divided into three parts: retrospectives of Sergei Parajanov and Satyajit Ray, and a programme of remastered Egyptian films. We have partnered with the Egyptian Media Production City to restore old films – notable titles such as The Beginning and the End (1960) by Salah Abouseif, The Impossible (1965) by Hussein Kamal and The Bus Driver (1982) by Atef El-Tayeb, an important movie that launched a new realism movement in Egyptian cinema in the 1980s. We are also screening international classics such as Cleopatra, The Godfather Part II, The Thief of Baghdad and Paris, Texas.

What is your overall strategy for the festival from now on?
I want to increase the festival's visibility by inviting more international and Arab journalists and film magazines. We’ve invited outlets like Variety, Screen Daily and the BBC. We also aim to showcase films from lesser-known countries and turn the festival into an industry hub with panels on co-production and films shot in Egypt in order to attract international filmmakers. The Cairo Film Connection and industry days are part of this push.