Cairo
International Film Festival
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is one of
only 15 Festivals accorded as a category “A” status by the International
Federation of Film Producers Associations FIAPF. It is the oldest and only
internationally accredited cultural feature film festival in the Arab World,
Africa, and the Middle East.
CIFF was launched in 1976 by the writer-critic Kamal
el-Mallakh to enhance the role of Egypt in the world of filmmaking and cinema
and to serve as a bridge between the cultures of the world.
The 1976 festival featured around 100 films from 33
countries with 14 films from different countries in the competition. To
celebrate the best of international cinema, the Cairo International Film
Festival has proven its influence and versatility year after year and continues
to act as a meeting point not only for filmmakers and critics but also for
writers, intellectuals, and other artists.
The Egyptian Association of Film and Critics organized
the festival for the first seven years until 1983. In the following year, the
Union of Artists Syndicate supervised the festival, and after that point, many
associations mustered their resources to run the festival. The Egyptian
Association of Film Writers and Critics joined with the Ministry of Culture and
the Union of Artists Syndicate to form a joint committee in 1985 to improve the
quality and financial state of the festival.
Source: CIFF Website
