The 60th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) will screen 17 films from nine Arab countries, opening on 5 October and running through 16 October.
From Egypt, the five participating films are Clash (Eshtebak) by Mohamed Diab participating in the official competition, A Day for Women by Kamla Abo Zekry and In The Last Days of the City by Tamer El-Said in the Debate section, as well as Adieu Bonapart by late renowned director Youssef Chahine in the Treasures section. Moderation, a film co-written by Egyptian filmamker Aida El-Kashef and directed by Anja Kirschner will screen in the Experimenta section.
From the Arab world, the festival screens 12 films, including Layla M. written by Jordanian Nora El-Koussour and Ilias Addab and directed by Dir Mijke de Jong, Farouk, Besieged Like Me by Syrian director Hala Alabdalla, The Worthy by UAE director Ali F Mostafa, Ilhiyat by Moroccan director Hoda Bin Yamina, Inhebbek Hedi by Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia, The War Show by Andreas Dalsgaard with screenplay by Syrian Radio DJ Obaidah Zytoon, short film 9 Days from My Window in Aleppo by Syrian director Issa Touma and Flemish directors Thomas Vroege, Floor van der Meulen, Barakah meets Barakah by Saudi director Mahmoud Sabbagh, Tramontane by Lebanese director Vatchi Bolgorian, The Chosen Ones by UAE director Ali Mostafa, and Battalion to My Beat by Algerian director Eimi Imanishi.
The festival will also screen the American film Tickling Giants by Sarah Taksler which features Egyptian satrist Bassem Youssef.
LFF is one of the oldest film festivals, dating back to 1953, and one of the most important international festivals now screening "around 240 features and 150 short films each year from 70 or more countries ... programmed into strands including Love, Debate, Dare and Thrill," according to the LFF website.
