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 [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Zsófia Szilágyi, the French production Meet the Barbarians [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Julie Delpy, the Romanian flick The New Year That Never Came [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Bogdan Mureşanu
scheda film] by Bogdan Mureșanu, and the Italian feature Vittoria [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Alessandro Cassigoli e Cas…
scheda film] by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman. The co-productions are the collaboration between Belgium and France Maldoror [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Fabrice Du Welz
scheda film] by Fabrice du Welz, the Serbian-US feature When the Phone Rang [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Iva Radivojević
scheda film] by Iva Radivojević, and the opening film Passing Dreams [+leggi anche:
intervista: Rashid Masharawi
scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Myriam El Hajj
scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Agathe Riedinger
scheda film] by Agathe Riedinger from France, plus the multi-national productions Brief History of a Family [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Chinese filmmaker Lin Jianjie, additionally supported by production companies from France, Denmark, and Qatar, and September Says [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ariane Labed
scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], the Faten Hamama Excellence Award will honour both Danis Tanović, the Bosnian filmmaker known for his Oscar-winning film No Man’s Land [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], 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.