Cairo Film Festival Launches New Market to Foster International Co-Productions

variety.com:

Ben Croll For the first time in more than a decade, the Cairo Film Festival will open for business. Now kicking off its 45th edition, the Egyptian event has remained a key cultural and artistic showcase for the region and for the wider Middle East and North Africa world – but Cairo has gone without a market since scuppering that component after the country’s 2011 revolution.

Soon, that’s all about to change. “This is the best time to reintroduce the market, because the whole of the Egyptian industry needs it very much,” says Cairo head of industry Mohamed Sayed Abdel Rehim. “So many of our filmmakers and technicians now find work in Saudi Arabia, so we want to bring more projects to Egypt and to engage more filmmakers from abroad.” Held as part of the Cairo Industry Days, and set to open on Nov.

15, Cairo’s streamlined and revamped market will primarily feature Egyptian, Saudi and Chinese outfits, welcoming each and all with a central focus on bridge building. “We’re looking to fill in some gaps,” says artistic director Essam Zakarea. “We cannot liken this to the markets of Cannes or Berlin, so maybe it’s better to call it a meeting point.

We’re trying to push the cooperation between the Egyptian, Arab and international film industries by gathering all those people to meet and discuss co-production opportunities.” Looking to best seize this platform, the eight participating companies will make daily announcements highlighting new projects, initiatives and collaborations, while market organizers will spotlight a number of startups connecting cinema with tech.