The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has set new dates for its 42nd edition, which will be held from 2 to 10 December instead of the previously planned 19 to 28 November.
According to the CIFF s press release, the date adjustment was made in order to "ensure a safer and more successful festival, [following] health procedures and measures approved by the Egyptian Government and the World Health Organisation (WHO)."
The third edition of Cairo Industry Day will be held from 4 to 7 December, while the activities of Cairo Film Connection will take place from 5 to 7 December.
In the press release, the festival s president Mohamed Hefzy said that “the team of Cairo International Film Festival is thrilled and eager to present an outstanding program of distinguished films at the 42nd edition. Furthermore, the return of Cairo Industry Days cannot be more significant at a time when the industry struggles for survival, hope and resistance against the difficult conditions imposed by the coronavirus all over the world. We never gave up hope for an outstanding physical edition.”
Omar Kassem, the CIFF s Executive Director, assured that all precautionary measures will be taken to ensure that everyone adheres to health and preventative measures, primarily social distancing and wearing facemasks inside the Opera House, which is the festival s main headquarters. The measures also include the sterilisation of cinemas and all venues immediately after each screening, temperature checks, and a comprehensive health follow-up on a daily basis for all festival workers and guests.
Furthermore, the opening and closing ceremonies will be hosted outdoors.
The CIFF is one of the most prestigious and oldest festivals in the Arab World and Africa, and is the only festival in both regions accredited as Category A by the International Federation of Film Producers (FIAPF) alongside 14 other festivals that hold international competitions.
The festival has gone through many positive changes over the past two editions headed by Hefzy (40th in 2018 and 41st in 2019).
The festival s 42nd edition includes promoting gender equality and transparency in film-related events, following a Cannes initiative in 2018.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences awarded the festival Oscar qualifying film festival status.
