Festivals
From premieres to safety measures: What to expect at this year's El Gouna Film Festival
Over the past three years, El Gouna Film Festival has become a cherished chapter in Egypt’s autumn film season. The annual seaside festival is returning this month for the fourth time, amid a backdrop of strict safety measures. Running from Friday, October 23, to Saturday, October 31,&
Music Festival in Morocco Goes Virtual amid Pandemic
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the "Visa for Music" festival decided to come back in a virtual event on November18-21, with a special program including intellectual seminars, workshops, and conferences respecting the preventive measures. The event organizers said this year's edition will be a
Red Sea International Film Festival launches 48-hour filmmaking challenge chaired by Hend Sabry
The Red Sea International Film Festival is inviting aspiring filmmakers in Saudi Arabia to apply for a 48-hour challenge this month that encourages young creatives to produce new work. Selected applicants, who must be between the ages of 18 and 25, will have access to three days of technical
China's Classical Music Festival to Feature Wuhan Musicians
China is holding its first classical music festival since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, featuring musicians from the former epicenter of Wuhan in an attempt to aid in the psychological and emotional healing process. Zou Ye, a composer from the central Chinese city where the virus was
Cairo Film Festival to Screen Internationally Acclaimed Films
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced the films that will feature in its 42nd edition, scheduled to run from December 2 to10. In a press release the festival’s president Mohamed Hefzy said that this year’s edition would screen the premiers of some of the biggest f
No flops, but little sizzle on Venice film festival red carpet
A cinema festival red carpet without internationally known celebrities, screaming fans and over-the-top fashion excess turns out to be, well, not much more than a carpet that's red. Such has been the case over the past two weeks at the Venice film festival, which is set to award its top fil
Venice Reclaims Spotlight as 1st COVID-Era Film Fest Opens
Venice is reclaiming its place as a top cultural destination with the opening of the Venice Film Festival — the first major in-person cinema showcase of the coronavirus era after Cannes canceled and other international festivals opted to go mostly online this year. But don’t be fooled
Saudi Film Festival to stream 54 films on YouTube in online event
The sixth Saudi Film Festival, which aims to support and promote the work of Saudi filmmakers, will take place for the first time as an online event set to run from September 1 to 6. The festival will bring 54 films to audiences, its organising committee has announced. Streaming live daily on
Berlin Film Festival to make acting awards gender neutral from 2021
The organisers of the Berlin International Film Festival say they will stop awarding separate acting awards to women and men from next year. Berlinale organisers said on Monday that the performance awards will be defined in a gender-neutral way at next year's festival, for which a physical event
Notting Hill Carnival: From Street Party to Screen Festival
This year's Notting Hill Carnival will swap the streets of West London for computer screens around the world, as the event turns online-only due to the coronavirus pandemic, streaming hours of music and performance. Held at the end of August each year, the carnival attracts more than a million vi
UK-based Arab film festival to go digital due to COVID-19 pandemic
The SAFAR Film Festival, the only dedicated biennial pan-Arab film festival in the UK, is to take place digitally in September, the Arab British Centre has announced. The changes come in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has forced multiple cultural events in
Dubai’s streetwear festival Sole DXB canceled due to pandemic
The region’s premiere streetwear festival, Sole DXB, will not be happening in 2020, the organizers announced via a statement on Sunday. The organizers revealed that they “aren’t confident” that they can deliver the experience festival-goers “deserve with
Arab movies to debut at Toronto International Film Festival
DUBAI - Organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) have released a new lineup of 50 movies for screening at this year’s event including a number of Arabic flicks.Egyptian filmmaker Mayye Zayed’s “Ash Ya Captain” (“Lift Like a Girl”), an intimate
