One of the Earliest Film Festivals in the Arab World and the First to Be Dedicated Exclusively to Documentaries and Shorts
The Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts Launches Its 17th Edition
Cairo, Egypt | Wednesday- 4 June, 2014:
Ismailia city is once again the center of attention for the world's most renowned documentary and short auteurs. Located in a port city on the west bank of the Suez Canal, the Ismailia city is now once again open for the crowded cinematic and film events with the launching of the 17th Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, which took place yesterday at the Ismailia Culture Palace in presence of Minister of Culture Mohamed Saber Arab, Major General Ahmed El-Kasas Governor of Ismailia, Festival President Kamal Abdel-Aziz, who is also Director of the National Cinema Center, and Scriptwriter and Producer Mohamed Hefzy, Festival Director, along with several Egyptian, Arab, and international filmmakers.
In his speech during the opening ceremony, Mohamed Hefzy stated that this edition has launched after six months of constant hard working where 58 films have been selected to screen as part of the festival; "This is not a big number if we compare it to other festivals, yet we have put much efforts to select the most remarkable works from across 34 countries."
He added that some of these films are world premiere including the opening film Jews of Egypt: The End of a Journey by Amir Ramses.
Hefzy also expressed his sadness that Syrian Director Mohamed Malas, the festival's Jury President, was denied an entry visa to Egypt. However, he stressed that despite his absence, Malas is still presiding the festival's jury which will do the job on his behalf and that a special tribute will be paid to him by screening two of his most remarkable works.
Festival President Kamal Abdel-Aziz started his speech by referring to the major role played by documentary filmmaking in highlighting issues and supporting dreams. He also gave thanks to the Ismailia residents and the volunteers who successfully host the festival each year.
Director Amir Ramses stated that his film Jews of Egypt: The End of a Journey, the festival's opener, is having its world premiere at Ismailia. He also gave thanks to Magda Shehata Haroun, President of Egypt's Jewish Community, who has played a major part in making the film. The film, which is sequel to the widely well-received documentary Jews of Egypt that screened in several major film festivals, is an official selection at the Ismailia festival's Long Documentary Films Competition.
Under four official competitions namely; Long Documentary Films Competition, Short Documentary Films Competition, Short Feature Films Competition, and Animation Films, 46 films are competing from across the world. The festival's jury list for the Documentary Competitions is headed by Syrian Director Mohamed Malas, and includes Greek Director Dimitris Koutsiabasakos, Egyptian Director and Producer Wael Omar, Egyptian Director Hala Lotfy, and the French Producer Marianne Lere. Due to the delay in Malas's arrival to Egypt, the jury shall continue to play his role meanwhile he arrives.
Whereas Producer and Director Marianne Khoury is the Jury President of the festival's Short Film Competition, and the jury members include Producer Mike Lerner along with the Lebanese Critic Hauvick Habechian.
The Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts awards the best films in the main four competitions. The prizes are:
- The Golden Tablet and a sum of $ 3000 will be awarded to the director of the best film in each section of the competition
- A Jury Prize will be given to two films in each section of the competition and is of the sum of $ 2000
- An Audience Award that will be given to the winning film
As part of the Special Screenings program, the festival showcases the rarely-seen documentary The Eighth wonder, which tracks the epic transfer of Abu Simbel temples to rescue them from being flooded during the construction of the High Dam. Directed by Canadian John Feeney, the film features the participation of the Egyptian Artist Hassan Bicar with a set of his paintings that narrate the 3500-year history of the two temples before transferring it. The film has been lost for several years until the festival administration could successfully get the only surviving copy of the film which is stored in the New Zealand Film Archive.
The Special Screenings also include the Italian documentary About the Resistance as well as the Egyptian film A place We Call Home, which is written by the young Scriptwriter, Nadine Shams who has passed away recently.
The festival's edition this year honors Egyptian Director Ali El-Gazouli whose film Afternoon Fishing will screen as part of the Tributes program, which also includes the screening of Syrian Director Mohamed Malas's The Dream and On the Sand, under the Sun.
The Panorama of Egyptian Documentary section includes 3 films: Jehane Noujaim's The Square which was nominated to the Oscars 2014, Crop by Marouan Omara and Johanna Domke and Director/ Scholar Viola Shafik's Arej - Scent of a Revolution, which had its world premiere at Berlin International Film Festival two months ago.
Keeping up with the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Brazil concurrently with the prominent film event, the Ismailia festival is launching a new category for soccer films, which includes three films about remarkable football legends; Maradona by Kusturica by the renowned Serbian Director Emir Kusturica, Puskás Hungary by Director Tamás Almási and The Two Escobars by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist.
The Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts is one of the Arab world's major film festivals, and the first to be exclusively dedicated to documentaries and shorts. The festival was first launched in 1988 under the jurisdiction of the National Cinema Center, to continue afterwards as one of three film festivals coordinated by Egypt's Ministry of Culture.
In his speech during the opening ceremony, Mohamed Hefzy stated that this edition has launched after six months of constant hard working where 58 films have been selected to screen as part of the festival; "This is not a big number if we compare it to other festivals, yet we have put much efforts to select the most remarkable works from across 34 countries."
He added that some of these films are world premiere including the opening film Jews of Egypt: The End of a Journey by Amir Ramses.
Hefzy also expressed his sadness that Syrian Director Mohamed Malas, the festival's Jury President, was denied an entry visa to Egypt. However, he stressed that despite his absence, Malas is still presiding the festival's jury which will do the job on his behalf and that a special tribute will be paid to him by screening two of his most remarkable works.
Festival President Kamal Abdel-Aziz started his speech by referring to the major role played by documentary filmmaking in highlighting issues and supporting dreams. He also gave thanks to the Ismailia residents and the volunteers who successfully host the festival each year.
Director Amir Ramses stated that his film Jews of Egypt: The End of a Journey, the festival's opener, is having its world premiere at Ismailia. He also gave thanks to Magda Shehata Haroun, President of Egypt's Jewish Community, who has played a major part in making the film. The film, which is sequel to the widely well-received documentary Jews of Egypt that screened in several major film festivals, is an official selection at the Ismailia festival's Long Documentary Films Competition.
Under four official competitions namely; Long Documentary Films Competition, Short Documentary Films Competition, Short Feature Films Competition, and Animation Films, 46 films are competing from across the world. The festival's jury list for the Documentary Competitions is headed by Syrian Director Mohamed Malas, and includes Greek Director Dimitris Koutsiabasakos, Egyptian Director and Producer Wael Omar, Egyptian Director Hala Lotfy, and the French Producer Marianne Lere. Due to the delay in Malas's arrival to Egypt, the jury shall continue to play his role meanwhile he arrives.
Whereas Producer and Director Marianne Khoury is the Jury President of the festival's Short Film Competition, and the jury members include Producer Mike Lerner along with the Lebanese Critic Hauvick Habechian.
The Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts awards the best films in the main four competitions. The prizes are:
- The Golden Tablet and a sum of $ 3000 will be awarded to the director of the best film in each section of the competition
- A Jury Prize will be given to two films in each section of the competition and is of the sum of $ 2000
- An Audience Award that will be given to the winning film
As part of the Special Screenings program, the festival showcases the rarely-seen documentary The Eighth wonder, which tracks the epic transfer of Abu Simbel temples to rescue them from being flooded during the construction of the High Dam. Directed by Canadian John Feeney, the film features the participation of the Egyptian Artist Hassan Bicar with a set of his paintings that narrate the 3500-year history of the two temples before transferring it. The film has been lost for several years until the festival administration could successfully get the only surviving copy of the film which is stored in the New Zealand Film Archive.
The Special Screenings also include the Italian documentary About the Resistance as well as the Egyptian film A place We Call Home, which is written by the young Scriptwriter, Nadine Shams who has passed away recently.
The festival's edition this year honors Egyptian Director Ali El-Gazouli whose film Afternoon Fishing will screen as part of the Tributes program, which also includes the screening of Syrian Director Mohamed Malas's The Dream and On the Sand, under the Sun.
The Panorama of Egyptian Documentary section includes 3 films: Jehane Noujaim's The Square which was nominated to the Oscars 2014, Crop by Marouan Omara and Johanna Domke and Director/ Scholar Viola Shafik's Arej - Scent of a Revolution, which had its world premiere at Berlin International Film Festival two months ago.
Keeping up with the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Brazil concurrently with the prominent film event, the Ismailia festival is launching a new category for soccer films, which includes three films about remarkable football legends; Maradona by Kusturica by the renowned Serbian Director Emir Kusturica, Puskás Hungary by Director Tamás Almási and The Two Escobars by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist.
The Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts is one of the Arab world's major film festivals, and the first to be exclusively dedicated to documentaries and shorts. The festival was first launched in 1988 under the jurisdiction of the National Cinema Center, to continue afterwards as one of three film festivals coordinated by Egypt's Ministry of Culture.
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