the cairo francophone film festival is born

Last night was the first edition of the Cairo Francophone Film Festival. The opening ceremony took place in the small theatre of the Egyptian Opera in the presence of the Festival's president, Yasser Moheb, and a select group of filmmakers and artists.

Minister Plenipotentiary Khaled Arif, Director of Francophone Affairs of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his pleasure to be invited to this first edition of the Festival. He also took the opportunity to highlight the undeniable contribution of Egypt - which endowed the Francophonie with the first Secretary-General of its Foundation, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali - to the francophone cinema, including world-renowned artists such as Yusuf Shaheen, Dalida, and Gamil Rateb, to name but a few.

The President of the Festival, Yasser Moheb, stressed the symbolic character of this ceremony, which announces much more than an international cultural event. According to him, the Festival aims to carry a message of freedom, like that advocated by the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), of which Egypt is proud to be a member. This freedom is every individual's responsibility; it is encountered in all its glory in the seventh and most influential of the arts.

The Festival, adds Moheb, is part of a constantly evolving French film market covering all continents, from Africa to the Americas, through the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. It covers more than 88 countries and governments, with a total population of 1.5 billion, representing 16% of the global population. From an artistic and cultural point of view, it is a unique opportunity to promote the richness and diversity of the world of Egyptian and French-language cinema; from a political point of view, this is the latest initiative to strengthen Egypt's role within the OIF.