The Cairo International Film Festival returns this year after its 2023 edition ended up being cancelled owing to Israel's war on Palestine – and for this 45th edition, which will unfold from 13-22 November, the festival shows its support of Palestine with a special tribute to Palestinian cinema, highlighting its rise, resilience, and contributions to the path towards self-determination.

The full programme was announced during the pre-event press conference on Sunday 3 November and revealed a traditionally strong European presence. 

In the International Competition, eight of the selected films are European productions or co-productions. The solo European entries are the Hungarian film January 2 [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Zsófia Szilágyi, the French production Meet the Barbarians [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Julie Delpy, the Romanian flick The New Year That Never Came [+lee también:
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entrevista: Bogdan Mureşanu
ficha de la película] by Bogdan Mureșanu, and the Italian feature Vittoria [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alessandro Cassigoli y Cas…
ficha de la película] by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman. The co-productions are the collaboration between Belgium and France Maldoror [+lee también:
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entrevista: Fabrice Du Welz
ficha de la película] by Fabrice du Welz, the Serbian-US feature When the Phone Rang [+lee también:
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entrevista: Iva Radivojević
ficha de la película] by Iva Radivojević, and the opening film Passing Dreams [+lee también:
entrevista: Rashid Masharawi
ficha de la película] by Rashid Masharawi, a joint work by professionals from Palestine, Sweden and France.

The parallel competition sections also include European productions and co-productions. Three French co-productions will be presented within the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition thus underscoring France’s continued involvement in regional narratives: Diaries from Lebanon [+lee también:
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entrevista: Myriam El Hajj
ficha de la película] by Lebanese filmmaker Myriam El Hajj, also co-produced by Qatar and Saudi Arabia; the collaboration with Palestine Holidays in Palestine by Maxime Lindon, and The Bridge [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by the Tunisian filmmaker living in France Walid Mattar.

In the Critics’ Week Competition, European-conceived and financed titles also feature in the lineup: Eva Nathena’s The Murderess from Greece, Wild Diamond [+lee también:
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entrevista: Agathe Riedinger
ficha de la película] by Agathe Riedinger from France, plus the multi-national productions Brief History of a Family [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Chinese filmmaker Lin Jianjie, additionally supported by production companies from France, Denmark, and Qatar, and September Says [+lee también:
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entrevista: Ariane Labed
ficha de la película] by Ariane Labed, a co-production between Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Germany. 

"Recognising the festival’s role in preserving cinematic heritage, we’ve also dedicated a new look at Egyptian and international film classics, presenting restored works using the latest technologies to offer a deeper understanding of cinema history”, said festival president Hussein Fahmy. The new Artistic Director, Essam Zakaria, also confirmed that “this year’s edition will feature an unprecedented emphasis on classics, with a dedicated programme and specialised screening venues.”

While the Golden Pyramid Honorary Award will be presented to Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah, who began his career in 1982 and has made significant contributions to auteur cinema, including acclaimed films such as Summer Thefts, The Gate of Sun, and After the Battle [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], the Faten Hamama Excellence Award will honour both Danis Tanović, the Bosnian filmmaker known for his Oscar-winning film No Man’s Land [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], who is also this year’s Jury President, and Ahmed Ezz, the Egyptian actor recognised for his performances in various blockbuster films such as The Hostage and the Sons of Rizk trilogy.

Furthermore, Russian cinema is also welcome in Cairo, represented by two brand-new titles: Natalia Nazarova’s Postmarks in the International Competition, and Nikolai Larionov’s Endless Winter screening in the International Panorama sidebar.