Tunisia to be Guest of Honor at the First Edition of the Port Said Film Festival
The Port Said Film Festival, scheduled to take place from September 18 to 22 in the Port Said province of Egypt, has announced that Tunisia will be the guest of honor at its inaugural edition.
International Competition
The festival revealed on Thursday evening a list of nine films selected for the international competition of feature-length fiction films. Tunisia is represented by the film "The Vanishing" by Algerian director Karim Moussaoui, a Tunisian-French co-production. The selection includes films from eight countries:
- "Seerat Ahl El Daye" by Karim El-Shinnawi (Egypt)
- "Close to The World" by Luca Guardabascio (Italy)
- "The Wound" by Seloua El Gouni (Morocco)
- "Intersection" by Adam Nowak (Poland)
- "House" by Jamshid Narzikulov (Uzbekistan)
- "Joqtau" by Aruan Anartay (Kazakhstan)
- "Love There is Love, There is No Darkness" by Stevan Lee Mraovitch (France)
- "Life of Luosang" by Guodong Zhang (China)
Tributes and Honors
As part of this inaugural edition, themed "Cinema Lights-up", a tribute will be paid to Tunisian filmmaker Mokhtar Ladjimi, in recognition of his remarkable career and contributions to Arab and international cinema. The festival's website recalls the work of a director with over 20 feature films and documentaries screened at major film festivals in cities such as Tunis, Cairo, Montreal, Burkina Faso, Marseille, Milan, Namur, and Tetouan. Ladjimi has also played a key role in shaping the cultural scene, founding and directing several festivals, including the Master International Film Festival (MIFF) in Yasmine Hammamet.
Actress Dorra Zarrouk, based in Egypt, will also be honored "in recognition of her remarkable artistic career and significant contribution to Arab cinema".
The Port Said International Film Festival will dedicate its first edition to the late Egyptian actor Mahmoud Yassine, "in recognition of his remarkable artistic career and invaluable contributions to Egyptian cinema".
According to its internal regulations, the festival will honor each year one artist from Port Said and three local or regional artists.
Festival Organization
Film critic Ahmed Asr is the founder and president of the Port Said Film Festival, which features five competitive sections for independent feature films, fiction short films, documentary short films, animated films, and student films. Each competition has its own jury, composed of three members from different countries.
Non-competitive films from around the world will also be part of the program.
The best films in the competition will be awarded the "Al-Fanar" gold and silver awards. In the feature film competition, a prize for best male interpretation and another for best female interpretation will also be awarded.
Festival Goals
The Port Said Film Festival is an annual event that aims to present remarkable films, support artists and young talents, and promote artistic and cultural exchanges globally.
The festival is organized by the Port Said Association for Dramatic and Cultural Arts, with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and in coordination with the relevant authorities in the port city of Port Said.
