(Photo from Cairo International Women’s Film Festival)
The sixth Cairo International Women’s Film Festival wrapped up with a celebration of women’s power in world cinema. The Audience Award that was presented for the first time went to the Dutch filmmaker Threes Anna with her film “Silent City”. She received the award in person during the closing ceremony.
In spite of the political turmoil in Egypt nowadays, the sixth Cairo International Women’s Film Festival has attracted substantial press and high levels of attendance. A selection of 35 films from over 25 countries was presented in the festival program which opened on 16 November with “Water Children” by Aliona Van der Horst.
Bringing together multi-awarded films made by women filmmakers, the festival has took place between 16 – 22 November 2013 in Creativity Center (Opera House), Falaki Theatre and AUC Ewart Hall. Over seven days, Cairenes enjoyed the wide selection of the most remarkable works made by women as well as exchanging ideas and experiences with international guests from Lebanon, The Netherlands, Palestine and Spain.
One of the main festival sections ‘Tribute to a Cineaste’ was dedicated to the Egyptian-Lebanese veteran filmmaker Nabiha Lotfi with a selection of her outstanding documentaries including “Childish Games” and “Tahya Karioka”. The Netherlands was the ‘Country in Focus’ of this year with a collection of the most important productions made in the country recently by women filmmakers.
One of the side events of the programme was a master class held by the distinguished Dutch filmmaker Threes Anna, who ultimately has received the Audience Award of the festival with her latest film “Silent City”.
‘Caravan of Arab–Iberoamerican Women Films’, one of the main sections of the festival program is going to travel to Spain, Cuba and Mexico during 2014 in coordination with “Filme Sozialak,” the International Unseen Films Festival based in Bilbao.
