Cairo Film Festival canceled due to Israel war with Gaza
Georgina Tawaf
The Cairo International Film Festival’s 45th edition has been canceled due to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The festival, which is the oldest film event in the Middle East and Africa, was originally scheduled to take place from November 15 to 24. However, it has been postponed indefinitely, with a new date yet to be determined.
The decision comes in the context of the ongoing conflict, with Egypt dealing with an influx of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip into its Sinai Peninsula, amid Israeli bombardments. Egypt has urged Israel to provide safe passage for civilians from Gaza rather than encouraging them to head 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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