Cairo Film Festival Postponed As Middle East Tensions Rise
The 45th edition of the Cairo Film Festival, which was due to run from November 15 to 24, has been postponed amid rising tensions in the Middle East due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The festival said in a short announcement that the decision to postpone the festival had been taken by Egypt’s Minister of Culture Neveen Al-Kelani.
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Fresh dates have yet to be set.
No reason was given for the decision, but the move comes amid growing tension in the Middle East, sparked by a brutal terror attack by Palestinian group Hamas out of Gaza on Israel on October 7, which killed more than 1,400 people and resulted in the taking of 199 hostages.
The attacks have been condemned by political and religious leaders of all denominations worldwide but there is now growing outcry over the suffering of Gaza’s 2.1 million inhabitants who are bearing the brunt of Israel’s retaliatory blockade and bombing campaign.
More than 3,000 Gaza residents have died in the Israeli bombings since October 7, while people are facing shortages of fresh water and food and there is no electricity.
An explosion at Gaza’s al-Ahli hospital overnight, which killed more than 500 patients and people taking shelter in its grounds according to Palestinian authorities, has sparked widespread street protests across the region.
Hamas said the blast was caused by an Israeli airstrike, but Israel has denied responsibility.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) presented evidence on Wednesday that it said showed the explosion had been caused by a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. The group has issued a statement batting back the accusations.
The postponement of the Cairo Film Festival, follows a decision last week by the El Gouna Film Festival on the Egyptian Red Sea to call off the October 13 opening of its sixth edition at the eleventh hour and push the event back by two weeks.
Artistic Director Marianne Khoury and Director Intishal Al Tamimi vowed to push on with the event to support culture and dialogue in the region but Deadline understands the festival will make a definitive decision on its plans in the next 24 hours.
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