Egyptian Cinema at the Ankara Film Festival.

Organized by The World Mass Media Research Foundation and supported by Turkish Ministry of Culture, the 23rd. Ankara International Film Festival will take place between 15 – 22nd March.

Festival will be showcasing a special selection of the latest Egyptian Cinema which will include films that address contemporary cultural movements and social sentiments across the Egyptian landscape.

Without a doubt, one of most talked about issues of the 2011 was, collapsing of the thirty year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.  Men or women, Muslim or Christian, hundreds of protesters took the streets of Egypt with the motto of ‘Bread, Change and Social justice’ and they marked the 25th January 2011 as the beginning of the ‘Egyptian Revolution’.  The Tahrir Square became the 'The Heart of the Revolution' and a universal symbol of freedom all over the world.  

The films to be screened at the festival;

18 Days - Sherif Arafa, Kamla Abou Zikri, Marwan Hamed, Sherif El Bendari, Khaled Marei, Ahmad Abdalla, Yousry Nasrallah, Ahmed Alaa, Mariam Abou Ouf, Mohamed Ali, 2011, Egypt

With no budget, and on a voluntary basis, 10 directors and their crews decided to make 10 short films about the 18 days of the Egyptian Revolution in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. These stories, inspired by events experienced, heard, or imagined, were an “instant response” to this pivotal moment in Arab history. All the proceeds of this movie will be devoted to organizing convoys to provide political and civic education in the villages of Egypt.

Asma'a -  Amr Salama, 2011, EgyptAsmaa is an HIV positive female in her 40’s. After the death of her husband, she moved to Cairo, where she lives with her father and her teenage daughter. Asmaa suffers from the feelings of social seclusion and fear of her illness being exposed, even to those closest to her. For months, Asmaa has been suffering from a benign infection and due to her illness, no doctor has agreed to carry out the surgery that could easily treat her. Asmaa must find a solution before her condition becomes fatal.

Cairo 678 - Mohamed Diab, 2010, EgyptThree Egyptian women from different social backgrounds join forces to fight against their country’s tolerance toward sexual harassment. Nelly files the first sexual harassment lawsuit in the history of the country, Seba, a victim of a gang rape, teaches self-defense, and Fayza takes these self-defense lessons a step too far. An expertly crafted combination of character study, social critique, and vigilante action, Cairo 678 is one of those rare films that resonate with audiences of both genders and across cultural divides.

2011 Asia Pacific Screen Awards; Jury Grand Prize

2011 Chicago FF; Best Actor, Best Feature Film

2010 Dubai FF; Best Actor, Best Actress                                                                                                    

Cairo Exit - Hesham Issawi, 2010, Egypt

A love story involving a young, Christian woman, Amal, and a young Muslim, Tarek. He can’t image a future in Egypt and longs to go to Europe with her. Amal’s also struggles with unemployment and intolerance, but she feels obligated to look after her family. Things come to a head when Amal tells Tarek that she is pregnant. He demands that she has an abortion or follows him into exile. Through the fate of two young people, we experience the days before the Arab revolution and get an insight into much of the events that led to the Mubarak’s ouster.

Microphone - Ahmad Abdalla, 2010, Egypt

Upon returning to his native Alexandria after travelling abroad in the United States for several years, Khaled (Khaled Abol Naga) discovers that time has altered and severed many of his prior relationships, namely between he and his former flame, Hadeer (Menna Shalabi). Feeling alone and dejected, Khaled wanders the city and quickly stumbles into a new world: the underground arts scene. As he becomes increasingly enchanted with this counterculture movement, Khaled crosses paths with street hip-hoppers, rooftop rockers, graffiti artists and documentary filmmakers. Captivated by this diverse intersection of creativity, he attempts to pull together his limited resources in the hopes of supporting the onslaught of fresh talent. It is not long before his professional and personal life become completely immersed in music, film and art, a movement all the more extraordinary for it having not emerged from Cairo, Egypt’s bustling capital city.

2010 Cairo FF; Best Arabic Film  2010 Carthage FF; Best Film2010 Dubai FF; Best Editor2011 Istanbul FF; Best Film Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad and the Politician - Ayten Amin, Tamer Ezzat, Amr Salama, 2011, Egypt

For 30 years, Egyptians knew no leader other than Hosni Mubarak, but on January 25, 2011, a new generation turned a one-day demonstration into what became a full-out revolution aimed at overthrowing the regime’s grip on power. Three young directors reflect on the uprising through the stories of a handful of individuals whose actions would change the future of their country.

2011 Venice FF;  CICT-IFTC Award

 -END-

For further information please contact;

Ms. Müge Çetinkaya; m.cetinkaya@filmfestankara.org.tr or mediainfo@filmfestankara.org.tr

T: 0090 312 468 77 45 /468 38 92

www.filmfestankara.org.tr

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