Hussein Fahmy at CIFF 46: “Celebrating Egypt’s Art, Cinema, and a New Era of Cultural Renaissance”

A dazzling musical performance on laser strings performed by Shasho steals the spotlight at the beginning of the opening ceremony of the Cairo International Film Festival opening.

 

 

At the opening ceremony of the 46th Cairo International Film Festival, festival head Hussein Fahmy delivered a powerful address celebrating Egypt’s rich artistic and cultural legacy.

 

“Today we celebrate the 46th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival. Egypt is a land of art, culture, and history,” Fahmy said.

 

He highlighted Egypt’s commitment to its regional and global responsibilities: “Egypt has never forgotten to support sister nations, standing by our brothers in Sudan and Lebanon, and holding firmly to its historic stance on the Palestinian cause.”

 

Fahmy also pointed to recent national achievements: “We have now reached the Sharm El-Sheikh Agreement. Egypt’s achievements are recognized by figures like UNESCO Director Khaled El Anany, and we can’t forget the historic opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Egypt always has the power to create miracles.”

 

Looking ahead, Fahmy emphasized cinema’s central role in Egypt’s renaissance: “Egypt is entering a new era of renaissance, with cinema playing a key role.”

 

He proudly spoke about the festival’s dedication to preserving Egyptian film heritage: “We have restored important films and added English subtitles. We restored several classic Egyptian movies including Qandeel Um Hashim and significant works by director Youssef Chahine, including Al-Nas wa Al-Nil. This year alone, we restored twenty films that represent true treasures of Egyptian cinema. We had to preserve our great history by restoring films. We will always cherish and remember our colleagues who have passed away through their timeless works.”

 

Fahmy concluded his speech with thanks: “I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture, WATCH IT, and Tazkarti for their support.”

 

During the ceremony, the festival also honored Nuri Bilge, head of the International Film Jury. Bilge said, “We will do our best to select the finest films, joined in the jury by Egyptian actress Basma and Egyptian director Nadine Khan.”

 

The 46th edition of CIFF thus opened with a celebration of Egypt’s cinematic legacy, a commitment to nurturing new talent, and a vision for a future where cinema continues to illuminate the country’s cultural and artistic heritage.