Cairo Film Festival Canceled Due to Israel-Hamas War
The Cairo International Film Festival’s upcoming 45th edition has been canceled due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Cairo fest and market, which is the oldest running film event in the Middle East and Africa, announced its decision Wednesday on Instagram with the following statement: “Minister of Culture Dr. Neven El-Kelany has decided to postpone the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, which was scheduled to take place from Nov. 15 to 24. The new date for the festival will be determined later.”
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But the Cairo Fest’s press office subsequently specified that the postponement actually amounts to a de-facto cancellation. It comes as Egypt is contending with a mass exodus of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip into its Sinai Peninsula, amid Israeli bombardments. Israel’s attacks on Gaza have prompted Egypt to urge Israel to provide safe passage for civilians from the enclave rather than encouraging them to flee southwest towards Sinai.
Last week, Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival was also rescheduled due to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The El Gouna Fest said in a statement that it will now take place from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, instead of its previous dates of Oct. 13 to 20.
Bosnian director and screenwriter Danis Tanović, whose “No Man’s Land” won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, had been selected as president of Cairo’s competition jury.
Cairo is the only festival in the Middle East and North Africa region to be accorded category “A” status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations in Paris (FIAPF).
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