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The Egyptian Cinema…. A Century of Geativity  The pioneer historian of the Egyptian cinema Ahmed el-Hadari says that the start of cinematic production in Egypt dates back to 1907 by Aziz and Doriss photo shop in Alexandria. In a documentary study published in Cairo Newspaper issued by the Ministry of Culture, he writes that many who worte down the history of cinema in Egypt believe that the long narrative film "Laila" (1927) is the start of the Egyptian film production. Such belief is totally wrong for two obvious reasons: First: If the start of film production in any country is attributed to the production of the first long narrative film, it will be a mistake. Conse-quently, the first long narrative film in Egypt is not "Laila" that was pro-duced in 1927. I discovered during my research that there is another long Egyptian film produced four years before it. Hence, "Laila" comes the second in sequence of the Egyptian long narrative films. The first long film was "In the country of Tut Ankhamen". Second: All the countries regard the date of commencement of their film production is the production of first film, whatever its length or kind. In all cases, it was a short film. This is the logical referrence that indicates which country has proceeded the other in this field. Then, what is the date of the start of our film production? Or, when the first Egyptian short film was produced? The books authored about Egyptian cinema say that short films date back to the shooting of the newsreel titled "Amoun Newsreel" in 1923, due to the film energetic pioneer Muhammad Bayoumi. Then some researchers discovered that another work has proceeded it. It was "In the Streets of Alexandria" newsreel, shot and produced by M. De la Garen in 1912 who had a movie house in Alexandria. But I discovered through searching in available old references, that other work has proceeded that of 1912. According to Al Ahram news paper edition in June 1907, the famous Aziz and Dorriss photo shop in Alexandria, and owners of a cartoons shops at Al Raml Station, took shots of the visit of Khedive Abbass II to the scientific institute at Sidi Abul Abbass. It was screened to audience in Aziz and Dorriss cinema phone programme. After that it, Aziz and Dorriss photo shop shot another rewsreel on sports events in "Les Freres School" known as "Saint Catherine". It means that the history of the start of film production in Egypt dates back to 1907. Hence, El Hadari regarded the current year of 2007 the proper year of celebrating the 100 anniversary of the Egyptian cinema. The Oldest Cinematic Experiments in the Arab World Egypt is one of the first countries that knew the arts of cinema. The Egyptians have known cinema at a date close to its start in Europe. Just few months after the first screening of cinematography by the Lumiérrè Brothers in Paris, it was screened, in Alexandria, on November 5, 1896. Since that date, the Egyptian cinema has started its first steps towards progress. Short documentary films were produced, then the Egyptians started acting, when the first Egyptian actor Muhammad Karim, stood in front of a camera in the movie Sharaf el Badawi "The Honour of a Bedouine", and Al Azhar Al Momita "The Deadly Flowers" in 1918. Thus, the Egyptian cinema proceeded towards flourishment with the return of director Muhammad Bayoumi from Germany in 1923. It was a silent movie titled "In the Country of Tut Ankhamen". In 1932, the first speaking movie was produced titled Awlad el Zawat "Sons of the Up-per-Class". The real beginning of cinema industry in Egypt was with the emer-gence of sound and the records companies' boost to musical movies of singer Muhammad Abdel Wahab, as a form of publicity of the records sellings. That was in the early of the 1930s of past century. Hence, singing has become a main feature of the Egyptian movie. Male and female singers have become movie stars. The Egyptian cin-ema have become known for musical comic movies that dominated film market. The distribution of Egyptian movies in the Arab countries, mainly in the northern region and Palestine, as well as in northwest Af-rica; in Tunisia and Algeria, boosted the popularity of such movies and its marketing in the Arab countries. Even, the Egyptian cinema started the production of many bedouine films in compliance with the nature of the Arab countries, which include wide-spread semi-bedouins groups. The Egyptian film also tackled melodramatic themes favored by the Arab audience, as well as the known values prevailed in the Arab coun-tries such as love, sacrifice, the victory of good against evil, and Halal (permissible) and Haram (impermissible), where Al A'zima (The Will) film was produced in 1939. After the July Revolution in 1952, the flour-ishment of such films prevailed, but new super stars appeared, specially singers such as Abdel Halim Hafez, who dominated film distribution markets. More important, at the beginnings of the Revolution, such movies prevailed, as well as those which attacked the royal regime and British occupation. But, sooner they faded away due to the emergence of romantic movies after the stability of political situation in Egypt. Most of them were based on worldwide novels and those by Egyptian novelists such as Youssef el Sebbai and Ihssan Abdel Qudous, whose writings reflected the concerns and culture of the Egyptians and their vision of social relations. After the July Revolution, the state set up the cinema establishment and several companies which produced movies for the first time in the history of Egyptian cinema. Regardless of some negative aspects of such experiment, the cinema production by the state scored wide success on the public level. Other movies of historical value were produced such as "the Mummy" by director Shadi Abdel Salam. It is one of the master pieces in the history of Arab cinema. That period and the successive one were significant for Egyptian directors who proved themselves in this field. They directed highly artistic movies; salient of them are Youssef Chahin, Tawfik Saleh, Barakat and Salah Abu Seif. It also gave the chance to promising directors such as Saeed Marzouh, Hussein Kamal and Ashraf Fahmi. With Egypt's access to new economic stage in the 80s, and the start of the state's abandonment of its role in the economic activity which is known as the period of open-door policy, Egyptian cinema tended to tackle new social themes, and phenomena. With the rise of the eco-nomic revival in the Gulf region after the October War, film distribution of was so active. New group of academic directors, graduates of the Cinema Institute, took the lead in depicting Egyptian reality, such as Atef el Taieb and Ali Badrkhan. Thus, there were serious attempts of making different and realistic films, which led to the appearance of the realism trend in the Egyptian cinema. Melodrama restored its prominent position in Egyp-tian movies, followed by comic film; whether black or funy comedy, have succeeded remarkably. Thus, Egyptian cinema was and will be always a major factor in the cultural structure of the Egyptian and Arab citizen. There are great Egyptian masterpieces which have affected the audience until today, despite its time-old production, because they have enormously formed the culture of the public. Pioneers of Egyptian Cinema Industry Issuance of the Encyclopedia of Arab Women Directors on the International Women Day by the American University in Cairo, publication department, is a significant gesture that allows us not only to make stop for appreciation but also to overview women's achievements for their countries; being half of the society. Meanwhile, we reconsider the rights women attained through an embodiment of their social role and the rights she still needs as depicted by movies. This is because women are an important and basic social bracket, as shown in the works of women directors who were included in the encyclopedia. After they have been deprived of their right for long, now women contribute to the movement of development and modernization both in developed and developing countries on equal footing. The International Women Day is a good occasion for women all over the world, regardless their language, cultural, economic, or political differences, to assemble and celebrate the event especially that women's rights and duties represent a criteria upon which nations' development is measured. And if we appreciate the significance of the encyclopedia, we have to first mention the major effort made by its German orientalist writer Rebecca Hillauer, who presented, throughout 500 pages, the work of creative women through Arab women directors. She began her work with a preview of the history of Arab cinema production pioneers like Bahigah Hafez, Amina Muhammad, Asia Dagher, and Mary Quinny. Bahigah and Mary: Alexandria had a pioneering role in Egyptian cinema. Thus it was not strange that Alexandria provided the Egyptian cinema with several women headed by Bahigah Hafez who came from Muharam Bek Street and engaged in the cinema industry accidentally through music. That aristocratic girl who loved music since childhood, just as the rest of her family, studied music in France, and composed several pieces. She was on her way to professionalism but her husband's objection made her stop composing. However, this did not take long; she got divorced and her father passed away, and so her life took a new turn. She decided not to go back to Alexandria where her family lived and went Cairo to earn her livelihood from music. In Cairo, she became famous as a composer and so she signed contracts with Audion Company and Colombia Company in Alexandria by virtue of which they shall buy her works. Once more, coincidence played a big role in changing the track of her life. This time, her photo was published on the cover of al-Mostaqabal Magazine as the first Egyptian female composer. The magazine fell in the hands of Director Muhammad Karim by chance. At that time, he was searching for a new talent who may take the leading role in his silent film "Zeinab", and so her name was registered as one of the pioneers of this silent art. Actually, it was Bahigah Hafez who composed the music of that film, 12 pieces of music and this was the first Egyptian film for which music was composed. Her journey with cinema resulted in no more than five films. As for the Lebanese tender artist Mary Quinny, she is deemed by Hillaure as one of the pioneers in Egyptian cinema for her giving over years that extended until she aged 87. She had already enriched the cinema with films that she participated in by acting or producing. Quinny was born in Lebanon, 1916; she came to Egypt and married the late director Ahmad Galal who co-chaired her in many films, some of which he directed and others he participated in as an actor. Those films were produced by the Lebanese producer Asia Dagher who produced the seventh film for the Egyptian cinema; 'Ghadat as-Saharaa.' In addition, the encyclopedia mentions that Quinny worked in film editing starting with "When Woman Loves" film. She began participating with her aunt Asia Dagher by starring in a film in 1931, and after her husband died, she starred in few films salient of which are 'The Seventh Wife' with Muhammad Fawzy. However, silently she quitted acting in the early 1950s, but she did not stop production. She produced about 30 films directed by great directors such as Youssef Shahin whom she cooperated with in three films including 'Ibn en-Nil' ( Son of the Nile) that was chosen among the best hundred films over a century of the history of Egyptian Cinema. Marginalizing the role of women: Hence, Hillauer began her encyclopedia by talking about pioneer women in Arab filmmaking, she also talked about the new generations that deeply influenced the presentation of women in the Arab world. Among them were the Lebanese Mona al-Ghandour, the Egyptians Inas ed-Degheidy, In'am Muhammad Ali and 'Atiat al-Abnoudy, though each has a different viewpoint and perspective of woman and consequently, their vision about women's social reality in the Arab world. For example, 'Bawabat al-Fofa' by director Arab Lotfy was shown after Israel raided south Lebanon in 1978. It was a tough experience that dealt with occupation and the diverse psychological effect. As for In'am Muhammad Ali's dialogue, the encyclopedia analyzes it in the context of her opinion that drama may largely guarantee changing and developing society. Undoubtedly, the encyclopedia monitored that the cinema memory that keeps many of the roles played by pioneer women as 'Aziza Amir, Fatmah Rushdi, Bahigah Hafez, and Amina Muhammad who participated by production, acting, scenario writing, and composing the film music of films that they produced. The first narrative in the history of Egyptian cinema is 'Layla'; produced by 'Aziza Amir who participated in writing and directing it, in addition to making the editing and starring the film. Pioneers of the Egyptian cinema who set the basis of this industry are those who placed Egypt among the leading countries worldwide. Egypt had the lead in embracing and studying that art, and among those artists are: Muhammad Bayoumi: He is the first pioneer of cinema industry in Egypt; he was the first Egyptian to travel to Germany in 1919 to study cinematography, the first to establish a studio in 1922, and the first Egyptian to stand behind camera and produced the first newsreel called Amun, in 1923. He is also the first Egyptian who shot and directed a short narrative in 1924; 'al-Bashkateb' and the first cameraman recruited by Misr Acting and Cinema Company affiliated to Banque Misr in 1925. He was the first Egyptian who established an institute to study cinema from the industrial side, never to mention that admission to the institute was for free. Azizah Amir: She was born in Damietta, 1901 and moved to live in Alexandria then Cairo. She was taught in a school in Muhammad Ali Street and learned how to play the piano; however, she did not have any education certificate. She loved cinema since childhood and was tested as an actress in Paris that and she passed. Strange enough, she suddenly came back to Egypt and established a company with Widad Orfy to produce a film that he would direct and she would star in. The film was 'Layla' and it was introduced on November 16, 1927. This film was considered the first step on the way of Egyptian cinema. Her second film, 'Bent en-Nil' " Daughter of the Nile" showed in 1929 and in 1932, she participated in a Turkish film in Arabic, French and Turkish. Her fourth film was silent in which she acted, directed and produced, but the film tragically failed. Then she stayed away from the cinema for a while then came back to star with Naguib al-Rihany, and then she returned to production and became a movie star. She presented many films that were mainly on the social side siding with the toiling brackets. She also presented social melodrama and acted one historic film. Finally, she presented to the cinema 26 films the last of which was 'Ament Bellah' " I Believed in Allah" that was directed by her husband at that time, Mahmoud Zulfqar and was shown after her death in 1952.
Asia began her career with the birth of the Egyptian cinema starting from 'Layla' in 1927 in which she took the part of a minor role just to fulfill her desire to appear on screen. She accompanied both the silent and speaking cinema and presented films that are considered landmarks in the history of Egyptian cinema over 50 years. She was born in 1908 in Lebanon and arrived in Egypt in 1923 with her sister and niece Mary Quinny, and when she knew that 'Azizah Amir is producing her first film, she hurried to her to take a role in the film, a minor one. She made a deal with the director of the film Widad Orfy under which he may should produce a film in which she would star and he would direct and write its story. Asia presented her first film 'Ghadat es-Saharaa' " The Beautiful Girl of the Desert" on May 1, 1929. The next film was silent and it was directed by Ibrahim Lama. The film was highly successful and in recognition of her efforts in cinema, the government granted Asia the Egyptian nationality. Her last showing as an actress was in 1946, then she dedicated herself to production. Asia presented all kinds of films: silent, speaking, coloured, cinema scope, comic, tragic, romance, and historic films. It can not be forgotten that in 1963 she produced 'Saladin'; the hugest production ever in the history of Egyptian cinema. Documentary Cinema…Visual Memory  Egyptian cinema began with documentary films by issuing Amun news reel, 1923 at the hands of Muhammad Bayoumi (1894-1963) that was issued four times irregularly. Issue number 1 was issued to cover the return of Sa'ad Zaghloul from exile. When Studio Misr was issued in 1935, he gave due attention to producing documentary films and to Misr Newspaper, however, production was not well-planned, rather it was subject to circumstances and occasions. Later, in 1946, the first department for short films in Egypt was established and it was headed by the pioneer of documentary cinema in Egypt, Sa'ad Nadeem. This department produced several films on Egypt's renaissance in addition to several guidance films for some ministries such as the Ministry of Social affairs and others. However, the production of documentary films in this period was limited; about 40 films over 28 years and they were all films on news and propagation. It is clear that they are all confined to practical identified objectives; propagation and guidance. After 1952 revolution, the Ministry of National Guidance and Supervising Documentary Films was established. The Revolution realized the significance of documentary films as a means for guiding audience and boosting order. Unfortunately, this supervision produced no more than one film over two years and so it was deleted and replaced by Cinema Department in the State Information Service in 1954/55. Over 1954/55 Cinema Production Unit of Shell Company issued a cinema magazine under the name of 'Forms of Life'. It tackled the significant projects in Egypt in that period. And in 1957, the Cinema Department established the Art Authority and then its activity was transferred to the Institution of Boosting Cinema, which in turn became Egyptian Cinema Public Institution in 1960. When the Cinema Public Sector was established in 1960 then a department for documentaries was affiliate to the Public Company for Cinema Production. In his The Future of Cinema in Egypt, Mr./Hashim an-Nahhas says that the multiplicity of authorities and their instability that resulted from struggles and successive developments led to hindering the flourish of documentary films, and thus its rules were not established. Yet, some of these authorities could sustain production and sometimes could present valuable films. In this period, seven films were made on Nubia monuments, in addition to a number of 15 films on treasures of Islamic art. In addition to those governmental units, some ministries produced also produced documentaries. An-Nahhas says: 'It is generally noted that the films on the Revolution achievements and its events are those that were widely popular. This was not out of official interest only, but also came to meet the audience needs of knowing the successive events taking place around them and that affect the society. A documentary fulfilled its duty on that part; it was assigned the duty of assembling audience to back the government, and it did' The era of relative flourish of documentary cinema synchronized with the start of TV broadcasting. Documentaries produced by different authorities and TV occupied a somehow good space of the broadcasting hours. Over the first six years, TV broadcast 35 films that began with the series 'Fanne Baladna' on the different vocations, in addition to the series on archeology and museums and another series on governmental achievements. In 1966, the Documentary Film Department was established through which documentaries made huge strides be that on the level of quantity or quality. A number of 80 films were produced over 1967-75; at a rate of 10 film/year. Some of those films attained world and local awards especially that many of the crews on those films were graduates of the High Cinema Institute. Those professionals were assigned in Radio and TV Union that sent them abroad for training and they were the first nucleus of documentaries in TV who became stars of documentary cinema. Among them worth mentioning Alfred Mikhail, Youssef Marzouq, Hassan Basheer, Dwidar at-Taher, Sa'dya Ghoneim, Samihah al-Ghoneimi, Faridah 'Erman and others. Through the films they presented, they documented the different features of life in Egypt. Moreover, several successful attempts in TV such as the film by Shawqy Gom'a 'The Description of Egypt'. Another film about social, political, and artistic life in Cairo over a thousand years was presented by 'Ezzedin Ibrahim. As for documentary drama, TV presented 'Al-Khaledoon', a programme that exhibits the lives of political, literary and intellectual personalities such as Refa'a at-Tahtawy, Zakareya Ahmad, 'Abdallah an-Nadim and others. Furthermore, Hassan Basheer presented 'Sout Misr', and Mahmoud Sami 'Atallah presented ''Alam as-Saharaa' in a series of 13 films that documented the desert all over Egypt; they are a rare record for Egyptian desert in which bedwin life, traditions, and culture were depicted. Despite the fact that the distinguished quantity of documentary films produced by TV granted it a history with documentary production, yet a documentary did not occupy the proper status on screen. Therefore, its features as a distinguished art among hundreds of shows, narrative films, and news coverings were not clearly drawn. Worth noting, documentary production by TV increased at the first three years of the 1980s. Private production companies If the cinema public sector represented in the Cinema National Sector that replaced all the previous authorities that shouldered the production of documentaries including TV, SIS, in addition to some ministries and governmental bodies that produced the biggest share of documentaries, it cannot be ignored that some private companies had their share also. Being free of governmental limitations and ideological hegemony, those private companies produced films of highly distinguished professional level, many of which won awards in international festivals. Those companies' films tackled social issues and problems related to the Egyptian society. Salient those companies are Phara'oon Film Company of Ahmad Fou'ad Darweesh, At-Telmesany Films, Abnoud Film of 'Ateyat al-Abnoudy, Alf Film of Shady 'Abdel Salam and Salah Mar'ey in addition to that company of Asmaa al-Bakry. Those companies were founded to give their owners the chance to freely express themselves hoping that they may market their production. However, most those companies stopped their activities due to their failure to market their works except for those who could cope with the needs of the market and produced films for different institutions and companies, in addition to producing advertisements, and so left documentaries behind. The total number of documentaries produced by institutions and authorities mentioned since 1952 and till 1990; within 38 years reached 1701 films, not including the films made by the High Cinema Institute being graduation projects. Propagation notebooks of Egyptian cinema 'Notebook' is the best among all terms used by amateurs and professionals for the notebooks made for a film propagation, posters, and marketing. There are other names that are being used, such as 'book scenario', a wrong term to be used in addition to many others. Such notebooks are used for propagation, so if they reached people for free, or by selling that would be for attracting them to go and watch the film propagated for. Therefore, production companies have always competed to offer those notebooks just as they compete to present good films. It was noted that the most elegant notebooks are those of the most successful and significant films in Egyptian cinema; among those films are 'Ghazal el-Banat', 'An-Nasser Salah ed-Din', 'Rodah Qalbi', 'Khaled Ibn el-Waleed', in addition to films for 'Abdel Wahab and Omm Kolthoum among others. That is why the 'notebook' is the best term used among those who love to have those printed material. The major objective of those notebooks was mainly commercial; attracting the audience to movie theatres. It is amazing how those notebooks almost vanished worldwide. First, they were distributed for free or sold for a few sum of money, or for free on those who attended the screening of films; critics, and journalists in order to make use of the data included on the crew of a film. Another aim of notebooks was to publish pictures of a film in newspapers to propagate for the film, and so came its name as the 'press book'. However, as time passed by, it was replaced by magazines that are distributed for free inside the movie theater for shedding light on the film or advertising for the new film to come on screen and so attract audience to it. As for advertisement material, and posters, they were confined to media people in the first place. World cinema companies distribute their advertisements before commercial screening and in the private screening made for journalists so as to provide journalists with information about the film or the stars to make use of them at criticizing the film. After the commercial screening comes to an end, those notebooks are of no significance, except for those who are deeply interested in cinema and researchers in the history of cinema. Some features may be briefed before we make a stop to read about the history of cinema in Egypt from those notebooks over the first 15 years of Egyptian cinema. Among those features: First: Those notebooks spread in the early years of cinema when it became a public visual art; it could draw a lot of attention away from theatre; the only public art ever over twenty centuries. That state of flourish was related to the escalating popularity of comic musical films. However, those notebooks' quality diminished notably in addition to a great recession in their presence in cinema production to the extent that they are published no more since the mid 1980s until now. Such notebooks included lyrics and posters for the shows in a film. On top of the most successful films whose notebooks make the best example are 'Ghazal el-Banat', 'Bent el-Akaber', 'Fatat as-Serk', 'Wedad', 'Ta'ala Sallem', 'Dalilah', 'Banat Hawaa'. Some other films hailed patriotism and those were given due attention to preparing their notebooks, thus they came out almost an elegant masterpiece. Among those films come 'Allah Ma'ana', 'Mostafa Kamel', 'An-Nasser Salah ed-Din' and 'Rodah Qalby'. As for religious films, some of them drew special attention, depending on the producer's financial potential, on top of which are 'Khaled Ibn el-Walid', in addition to 'Fagr el-Islam' and 'Ash-Shaymaa' that were produced by the Cinema General Institute. Second: Those notebooks varied in form and size; designers were creative in finding variable nice forms. Some notebooks were in the traditional form; a drawing sketch, others were one-piece-folded paper that, when unfolded, looks like a complete map that includes all film features. One of the cute designs was that of 'Khaled Ibn el-Walid' whose poster was designed in the form of a castle in the Islamic style. Salient and most famous designer ever in this field was Abu es-So'oud Muhammad and he was innovative as well; for example, he designed the front page for notebook of the film 'Shebak Habibi' or 'My Baby's Window', by director 'Abbas Kamel, in the form of a window that, when opened, you will find the stars of the film; Nour el-Hoda and 'Abdel 'Aziz Mahmoud, behind it. Many designers used to use the main poster of the film on their notebooks, but many others used to innovate a different design. Thus, first front pages of those notebooks may make a gallery for pictures drawn by hand and by graphic and they will include a big variety and will be also attractive. The main aspect about those front pages was focusing on the audience's favourite actors, meanwhile the attention paid to inner pages was not any less; they were on the same level of quality and design. Rather, sometimes the inner pages were even of a higher level in professional and artistic execution. Production companies were always keen on issuing those notebooks in Arabic and French; taking into consideration the francophone prevalence at that time as most Egyptian cinematographers at that time mastered the French language. Among them were Togo Mezrahy, Estephan Rosti, Naguib ar-Rihany, and Edmond Tweema. Later, English began to gradually take over, and sometimes, special editions were made in English when distribution reaches Anglophone countries; such as 'Thuhoor al-Islam' and 'Rayya we Skeenah'. Third: these phenomena were not confined to Egyptian films; rather they extended to two kinds of films: We are keen on identifying mysterious and unknown pages of the Egyptian cinema that are known to only few among the living, thus became to many generations. That is why we will make a stop at the first seventeen years of cinema history by beginning with reading the map of films that were long forgotten and unseen, yet we do not know where they were lost in the track of time. Furthermore, we will make a comparison between them, thus reflecting the vision of those film production companies. Those films are 'The Marriage' directed and starring Fatmah Rushdi, 1933 and 'Awlad ath-Thawat', produced and starred by Youssef Wahby. The choice of those films is random and we cannot favour any of them as we do not choose a film for a certain value; all of them are now classics. What matters now are the notebooks that each represents a particular identity; each producer put in the notebooks the adjectives he likes to be mentioned to glorify him. The heroes of the two films are aristocrats who are well bred. Salma, the heroine of 'The Marriage' travels to France to attain her certificate in Pedagogy so becoming the first girl to have it. Fatma Rushdi's notebook was divided into two equal parts, half in Arabic and half in English. The notebook also mentions that Fatma Rushdi's newsreel is the first Egyptian paper that records events in the Middle East. That announcement is so important as cinema historians say that director Muhammad Bayoumy was the first to issue a cinema magazine in Egypt. As for the film 'Shagarat ed-Dor' that was made in 1935; it is a historic film directed by Ahmad Galal. It is a film for which two different notebooks were made; the first, has a front page in golden Arab painting, and the inner pages include three photos for the writer Georgy Zidan, the actor Asia who played the role of Shagarat ed-Dor, and third is for the director Ahmad Galal. The rest of the pages include photos for the rest of the stars among whom was Mary Quinny who played Sulafah al-Kordyeah, 'Abdel Rahman Rushdy who played Prince 'Ezz ed-Din Aybak and 'Atta Allah Mekhael who played Prince Hossam ed-Din. According to the Published story, the events take place in the fourteenth century, while the second notebook was a three-folded-paper that was not as elegant as the first one and includes additional photos without mentioning the story. Cinema Institute…school for artistic creation Egypt's Cinema Institute is deemed the biggest educational institution worldwide, including Moscow Institute, which produces films for free for its students. The highest percentage of films participating in the National Festival for Egyptian Cinema is that of students', and usually those are the films that annually win the awards of the same festival, never to mention the international festivals. Salient aspect about the Institute is that it is a rare case among educational institutions that could, over quarter a century, to change its staff to be those same students of the Institute, and so the smallest teaching assistant and the rest of the staff till the dean are graduates of the Institute. It could come out with its own entire educational cadre. Undoubtedly, early batches of the Institute suffered the hardship of breaking the chain of market monopoly; however, those generations could in the end break it. As a matter of fact, a huge leap took place in the Institute over the last ten years. When the Institute first opened, students did not carry out any projects or practical exercises and the Institute had no potentials for practical training. Starting 1968 and till the 1980s, the Institute began providing students the opportunity to carry out their projects in the graduation year. Thus students could attain experience by making complete films not only short shots via using V.H.S technology, in addition to training to use that same technology from the first year. On the second year, a student carries out his practical training in the form of a film and on the third year he carries out a short narrative film and a documentary; one for cinema and the other for video. Those projects are 10-15 minutes films. On the fourth year, a student makes two projects; a 20-minute-project for cinema and a 30-minute-project for the TV, in addition to practical training over the four years. Formal cinema education in Egypt began by establishing the High Cinema Institute on 1959 with director Muhammad Karim as the first dean. Karim traveled abroad and made field visits for a big number of cinema institutes allover the world; Geremany, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and other countries. He tried to take from each institute its best characteristic then began teaching relying on a group of the best experiences in Egyptian cinema production, directors, montage experts, cameramen, and scenario writers. For example, we had Salah Abu Seif, Yousef Shahin, and Tawfiq Saleh in the branch of direction, Ahmad Khurshid and 'Abdel 'Aziz Fahmi as cameramen, Said Ash-Shiekh and Kamal Abul 'Ela in montage, and Ali az-Zorqani in addition to others in scenario writing. In addition to those, there were professors for teaching theoretical subjects such as Dr./'Abdel Qader el-Qot, and Dr./Magdy Wahbah who taught English. The Institute follows the same policy that it started with and began to develop; linking the Institute with cinema production and the current events in addition to seeking the help of experiences on the market so that there would be no separation between the Institute and cinema industry. However, we allocated a creative workshop for this relation, a system that began in the 1990s and an expert in each specialty who would be responsible for a branch such as directing and script writing. Rules of admission in the Institute were finishing high school education and passing the admission exam, most of the exams tested general knowledge in cinema and arts in general. On the first year, the study is general including all specialties so that a student would be aware of the basics of scenario, directing and other specialties. As for contacting foreign cultures, now that there is a film library, a student is nowadays aware to a great extent of world cinemas that include salient world cinema production and this is on the one hand. On the other hand, there is contact with foreign filmmakers in festivals; students travel and participate in various international festivals and Egypt hosts some foreign directors who were participants in Cairo Festival so that students may have the chance to meet them, never to mention the workshops held with foreign professors. There are accelerating changes in IT and audiovisual techniques that represent a challenge for the Institute to cope with. Currently, modernization and development of the Institute is taking place. A big studio and a plateau have been established upon the state-of-the art technology. Those locations will be available for students to carry out their projects in addition to using them as a private investment unit. Furthermore, the academy now has one salient film library that enfolds the most important world films over a hundred years in addition to booths to watch the movies. The main aspect that cinematographers are working on currently is how methodologies may change to cope with the technological leap in filmmaking. The academy has a complete plan to move upon several pivots for comprehensive face up to problems of creative education in general. And the main objective is not just technological modernization, rather to free student's potentials. It is a great thing that technology and art unite but it is greater if they unite for a better human to be. There is a famous saying about Egyptian cinema pioneers; that they learned cinema in studios, not academies, however this is not true. Egyptian cinema was affected by 1919 Revolution, and since it first began was linked to the modernizing national project that included all fields. Egyptians were keen on following the steps of civilization and science and those who joined cinema did so through study. For example, Muhammad Bayoumy went Germany, Nyazy Mostafa went also Germany to study engineering and he ended up studying cinema, and so did Muhammad Karim. The idea of learning cinema began in Egypt in an early stage and was related to the establishment of the civil university. Thus teaching cinema in Egypt began on 1925 at the hands of Mahmoud Khalil Rashed who established the Institute for Scientific Studies that included a branch of studying cinema by correspondence. Having an overview on the curricula of that Institute they are found to follow the latest arts of the time, there were subjects about how to make illusions in cinema, and predictions about sound in films even before sound was introduced to the cinema. Rashed translated cinema terminology from English to Arabic. As for Muhammad Bayoumy who established the Egyptian Cinema Institute, he taught cinematography for free and he had a vision that the Institute should be self-sufficient through the production of the Institute itself. Actually, the Institute produced several films, however, the idea proved failure. On the other hand, Studio Misr was not just a studio for filmmaking; rather it was a school for teaching cinema. This was by making use of some renowned foreign experts side by side with Egyptians including Ahmad Badrakhan and Muhammad Abdel Gawad in addition to Nyazi Mustafa in montage, Waleye ed-Din Sameh who was a professor of architecture in Germany then came Egypt and supervised the décor department, and Mustafa Daly the inventor and sound engineer who came Egypt to supervise the sound department. The system within Studio Misr was to give each trainee the chance to direct a short film as a graduation project and the trainee was to take his chance to direct a long film. For example, the film 'Number 6' was the graduation project of Salah Abu Seif in Studio Misr, thus Studio Misr was an educational academy, and this was the method followed by US and European studios. Later when it became incumbent to teach cinema scientifically, Egypt was one of the first countries to cope with that orientation. This was expressed in the establishment of Arts Academy; the idea of Tharwat 'Okashah who found it is impossible to have a good cinema in Egypt without having a specialized institute.
Violence was long related with what is known as the conflict between vice and virtue. In films, engagements in fighting used to take place between the hero, who represents the forces of good and defeats his rival, who represents the forces of evil. However, since the early 1950s, upon the 1952 Revolution, films narrating the story of negative figures in the Egyptian society began to appear. In most cases, such characters used to act the actual story of real criminals whose cases had long occupied the public opinion. For example, al-Wahsh or "The Monster" directed by Salah Abu Seif, al-Sultan or "The Sultan" by Atef Salem and Raya wa Sekina or "Raya and Sekina" which narrates the real story of two killer women who lived in the 1920s, were all films of that sort. With this series of films, the Egyptian cinema had witnessed, for the first time, scenes of collective violence and gun shooting, the matter that was not previously familiar. It is also noticeable that, in most cases, the police succeed either in arresting or in killing the criminals. Social Violence The films that show violence as a means for social and family disorder are the most important ones in the Egyptian cinema as they represent violence as one of the social phenomenon that associates social problems, or a result of disorder in the social conduct. Examples of such films are Ihna el-Talamza or "We are the Students" directed by Atef Salem and written by Naguib Mahfouz. In this film, a family had led some youth to kill for robbing. There is also Ga'aloony Mujriman or "They Made Me a Criminal", starring Farid Shawki and directed by Atef Salem. Some other films such as at-Tareeq or "The Road" and Shabab Imra'a or "A Woman's Youth" had represented violence and killing as a result of jealousy or a love affair. Also, there is the social violence which is derived from taking revenge from the society or the social injustice. This kind of violence is represented in al-Liss wal Kilab or "The Thief and the Dogs" based on a famous novel by Naguib Mahfouz and some of Dostoevsky's novels which were directed by Hossam al-Din Mustafa, such as Sonia wal Magnoon or "Sonia and the Insane" and Al-Ikhwa l-A'adaa or "The Enemy Brothers" where the lunatic son kills his father as a result of the latter's cruelty and his declaration of atheist opinions in front of his son, making him believe that everything is permitted. Moreover, some films such as al-Bustagi or "The Postman", Doaa al-Karawan or "The Nightingale's Prayer", Sira'a fil Nil or "A Struggle in the Nile" and Al-Ba'd Yulad Maratain or "Some are Born Twice" show violence as a result o social traditions such as the vendetta. Furthermore, al-Thar or "The Revenge" directed by Mohamed Khan, is one of the strangest films that tackled the individual revenge, as a husband returns to find that a plumber had raped his wife, so he kills every plumber he meets as a retaliation to his wife. Political Violence After the Egyptian Revolution, the political violence had occupied a great position in the Egyptian cinema. Many films had focused on the national struggle against occupation. One of the most important films for this period is Fi Baitena Ragol or "A man in our House" directed by Barakat and starring Omar Sharif. This film had presented, for the first time in the history of the Egyptian Cinema, the issue of political assassination. It also included the scene of opening the bridge while the students were demonstrating over it, thus leading to their murder, either by drowning in the Nile or under the feet of the other panic demonstrators. The film Thaman al-Horeya or “The Price of Freedom”, which tackles the life story of Gamal Abdul Nasser, is one of the films that showed the torture the Egyptians had suffered from under the British occupation. Also, Sira'a fil Wady or “A Struggle in the Valley” directed by Youssef Chahine is a vivid example of the evidence that is based on spreading the economic domination to control the market, as crimes are committed because quantity of the sugarcane crop of the peasants was bigger than that of the Pasha. After the Nasserist period, some political films known as “The Films about Centres of Powers” had appeared. The most important of such films are Assyad wa A'beed or “Masters and Slaves” and al-Karnak or “The Karnak” by Ali Badrakhan. Not to mention al-Bare'e or “The Innocent” written by Waheed Hamed and directed by Atef El-Tayyeb that required the approval of the Armed Forces and the Police to be screened becouse Ahmed Zaki, the hero, who was a recruit in the army, had shot his at the end of the film. It had also disclosed the torture practiced in the prisons top-rank officers against opposition figures. Moreover, al-Irhabi or “The Terrorist”, directed by Samir Seif and starring Adel Imam is one of the most important films that addressed the violence of terrorism. Exported Violence The Egyptian films that are based on violent foreign ones are one of the most interesting phenomena appeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They mainly appeared due to the commercial success that the original foreign ones had scored in the foreign and Egyptian markets. Such films were literary copied, including killing and shooting scenes, so they were strange and weird to the Egyptian society. The most important films of such a kind were those taken from the Scar Face film, starring Al-Pacino, which had realized an enormous success in the last century. This film is a repetition to another one by the US director Howard Hawks carrying the same name and narrates the rise of a gangatr until he is finally killed by the police. Naguib Mahfouz's Thugs (Fetewat): In the early 1950s, the Egyptian cinema had witnessed some films that discussed the phenomenon of the thugs (Fetewat) who existed in the late 19th and the early 20th century. But the 1950s was known as the thugs cinema due to the al-Harafeesh epic that was divided into many films starring Ashour el-Nagi and his sons. Such series of films were teemed with violence and killing scenes and showed minute details of battles, injuries, blood and corps and they used to raise the symbol of “the more blood shed scenes, the more revenues increase”. Examples of such films were al-Motarada or “The Chase” by Samir Seif and al-Goo'e or “The Hunger” by Ali Badrakhan. Family Violence and Rape In the end, we cannot ignore the family violence which varied according to the social status of each era. In the 1950s, this violence mainly stemmed from the cruelty of the stepfather, as in al-Morahekat or “The Teenagers” or the stepmother, as in as-Set al-Nazra or “The Headmistress”. In the 1970s, the conflict of the one family on the wealth had led to the murder of most of its members. This was embodied in ‘Awdet al-Ibn al-Dal or “Return of the Prodigal Son”, till we reached the series of the wives killing their husbands in some films as “The Lost Women”, directed by Atef Salem and al-Mara'a wal-Satoor or “The Woman and the Chopper”, directed by Saeed Marzouk. Moreover, the Egyptian cinema had highlighted the phenomenon of kidnapping with object to rape in some films such as al-Moghtaseboon or “The Rapists” by Saeed Marzouk and Ightisab or “Rape” by Ali Badrakhan. Egyptian Cinema Societies Cinematic societies in general are one of the most important estab-lishments of cinematic culture in any modern society. They may not be relevant to the cinema industry itself, in as much as they are relevant to films screening to certain audience. They are, in the first place, con-cerned with receiving them. Usually, their audience are of special inter-est in the cinematic art, to the extent that some amateurs may produce their own movies at low costs. Therefore, the screening of movies to such audience is usually associated with serious seminars and discus-sions, as well as periodical pamphlets. The activity of such societies of-tenly include holding seminars, delivering lectures, issuing specialized publications specially on movie taste and criticism. Some of them hold ceremonies in form of movie weeks or local and international festivals. Kinds of Cinematic Societies Cinematic societies are not affiliated to any governmental organ, and practice activities relevant to cinematic culture in general. They are divided into two main groups: the first of professionals and the other of amateurs. The first sets as a condition the membership of the cinematic professional syndicate. The second is limited to amateurs, even if it includes a number of professionals. As the cinematic profes-sional (artist-technician- critic) may join the amateurs society in compli-ance with the society's statute, as an ordinary member not a profes-sional. As an example of such society is the Film Society. But the grouping which is based on differentiation between being professional and amateur, is not the only grouping of cinematic socie-ties (though it is the major one). As there are self-independent cinematic societies such as (the Film Society- The Egyptian Film Critics Society). At the same time, there are entities accepted as cinematic societies, but they are not independent, because they are affiliated to other entities such as "the Seventh Art Group in Alexandria, which practice its activ-ity through the Artists and Writers Group in Alexandria, and Cinema Club at Heliopolis Society for Social Services in Cairo. It is also noticed that there are cinematic societies for professional whose membership include all cinema professionals in all its field (production-direction-scriptwriting-editing-photography, criticism … etc), such as "The New Cinema Group. In return, there are cinematic societies for professional whose membership is limited to a certain group of cinema professionals such as "The Egyptian Documentary Film Group" and the Egyptian Film Critics Group". As to the history of cinematic societies, there are a number of active cinematic societies which are in general few, as compared to the bigger number of cinematic societies that existed in Egypt once upon a time, but they became inactive after a short or long time. Active Societies: Active Egyptian cinematic societies for amateurs are: 1- The Egyptian Catholic Cinema Centre/ Cairo 1949. it is a special case in the history of cinematic culture in Egypt. As it is a society affili-ated to religious body (Fran?is - cains), aiming to encourage serious film industry, through briefing the audience on good artistic films that tackle noble human values. At present, the centre's activities include its scien-tific cinematic library which comprises cinematic and artistic books, pamphlets, and periodical, as well as files on all Egyptian films since 1927 until now. They also include the annual festival for Egyptian films since 1952, and the Nile Hall for film screening, artistic shows, confer-ences and seminars. In fact, accurate documented scientific study indi-cates that the new cinematic culture in Egypt is the product of the Egyp-tian Catholic Cinema Centre. 2- Film Society in Cairo, 1962. It aims at propagating cinematic cul-ture through a number of activities such as: periodical cinematic semi-nars on selected Egyptian, Arab and foreign films which include screen-ing and discussion - periodical pamphlets - lectures on cinematogra-phy-producing movies for amateurs, and holding an annual festival of Egyptian films since 1975.
4- Cinema Club at the Press Syndicate, Cairo, 1988. It aims at screen-ing selected films and discussing them, so as to raise the standard of ar-tistic criticism in newspapers and magazines, as well as strengthening the relation between journalists and cinema professionals through seminars. 5- The Seventh Art Group in Alexandria, 1978. It is an entity of a group of cinema fans who defend the necessity of establishing an inde-pendent society cinematic culture in Alexandria. 6- Cinema Club at Heliopolis Library, Cairo, 1968. It holds shows on Fridays and Saturdays of every week. 7- Cinema Club at Al Ahram Newspaper, Cairo. 8- "Egyptian Cinema and Human Rights 2000". Seminar held by "the Human Rights Society for Helping Prisoners". It holds a monthly screening of an Egyptian film that tackle human rights, particularly those of prisoners, followed by a discussion of a research paper on an extensive study of the objective, legal and artistic features of the film. Active cinematic societies for professionals are: 1-Egyptian Documentary Films Group, Cairo, 1972. It aims at ex-panding the propagation of documentary films culture, particularly among its active member professionals and associated non-professionals. 2- The Egyptian Film Critics Society, Cairo, 1972. It is a society to as-semble Egyptian cinema critics, in addition to the membership of (FIPRECI). 3- The Egyptian Film Writers and Critics Society /Cairo 1973. Its membership includes both professional critics and screenwriters (story-dialogue-scenario). 4- The Egyptian Society for Cinematography, Cairo, 1987: Its main activity focuses on issuing the well known art magazine El cinema Wal Nass (Cinema and People), in addition to holding an annual Ceremony of Egyptian Cinema titled "The Egyptian Cinema Oscar Festival". 5- The Egyptian Society for Directors of Photography, Cairo, 1988. It membership is limited to this specific branch of cinema, with the aim of organizing practical and social relations among its members, and to be briefed on up-to-date techniques of photography. 6- Egyptian Cinema Female Professional, Cairo, 1922. Its objectives combine between few of cinematic culture orientations and a lot of various social orientations. In conclusion, the historical review indicates that Egypt is one of the countries which possesses an active cinematic culture, through early set up of cinema societies (1921). Egyptian Cinema Societies Cinematic societies in general are one of the most important estab-lishments of cinematic culture in any modern society. They may not be relevant to the cinema industry itself, in as much as they are relevant to films screening to certain audience. They are, in the first place, con-cerned with receiving them. Usually, their audience are of special inter-est in the cinematic art, to the extent that some amateurs may produce their own movies at low costs. Therefore, the screening of movies to such audience is usually associated with serious seminars and discus-sions, as well as periodical pamphlets. The activity of such societies of-tenly include holding seminars, delivering lectures, issuing specialized publications specially on movie taste and criticism. Some of them hold ceremonies in form of movie weeks or local and international festivals. Kinds of Cinematic Societies Cinematic societies are not affiliated to any governmental organ, and practice activities relevant to cinematic culture in general. They are divided into two main groups: the first of professionals and the other of amateurs. The first sets as a condition the membership of the cinematic professional syndicate. The second is limited to amateurs, even if it includes a number of professionals. As the cinematic profes-sional (artist-technician- critic) may join the amateurs society in compli-ance with the society's statute, as an ordinary member not a profes-sional. As an example of such society is the Film Society. But the grouping which is based on differentiation between being professional and amateur, is not the only grouping of cinematic socie-ties (though it is the major one). As there are self-independent cinematic societies such as (the Film Society- The Egyptian Film Critics Society). At the same time, there are entities accepted as cinematic societies, but they are not independent, because they are affiliated to other entities such as "the Seventh Art Group in Alexandria, which practice its activ-ity through the Artists and Writers Group in Alexandria, and Cinema Club at Heliopolis Society for Social Services in Cairo. It is also noticed that there are cinematic societies for professional whose membership include all cinema professionals in all its field (production-direction-scriptwriting-editing-photography, criticism … etc), such as "The New Cinema Group. In return, there are cinematic societies for professional whose membership is limited to a certain group of cinema professionals such as "The Egyptian Documentary Film Group" and the Egyptian Film Critics Group". As to the history of cinematic societies, there are a number of active cinematic societies which are in general few, as compared to the bigger number of cinematic societies that existed in Egypt once upon a time, but they became inactive after a short or long time. Active Societies: Active Egyptian cinematic societies for amateurs are: 1- The Egyptian Catholic Cinema Centre/ Cairo 1949. it is a special case in the history of cinematic culture in Egypt. As it is a society affili-ated to religious body (Fran?is - cains), aiming to encourage serious film industry, through briefing the audience on good artistic films that tackle noble human values. At present, the centre's activities include its scien-tific cinematic library which comprises cinematic and artistic books, pamphlets, and periodical, as well as files on all Egyptian films since 1927 until now. They also include the annual festival for Egyptian films since 1952, and the Nile Hall for film screening, artistic shows, confer-ences and seminars. In fact, accurate documented scientific study indi-cates that the new cinematic culture in Egypt is the product of the Egyp-tian Catholic Cinema Centre. 2- Film Society in Cairo, 1962. It aims at propagating cinematic cul-ture through a number of activities such as: periodical cinematic semi-nars on selected Egyptian, Arab and foreign films which include screen-ing and discussion - periodical pamphlets - lectures on cinematogra-phy-producing movies for amateurs, and holding an annual festival of Egyptian films since 1975. 3- Cinema Club at "Jésuires" Cairo, 1970. It is affiliated to the school of "Jésuires" in Cairo. It holds a weekly cinematic seminar which screens a film and runs discussions, through the Scientific and Cultural Revival Society at Faggala. 4- Cinema Club at the Press Syndicate, Cairo, 1988. It aims at screen-ing selected films and discussing them, so as to raise the standard of ar-tistic criticism in newspapers and magazines, as well as strengthening the relation between journalists and cinema professionals through seminars. 5- The Seventh Art Group in Alexandria, 1978. It is an entity of a group of cinema fans who defend the necessity of establishing an inde-pendent society cinematic culture in Alexandria. 6- Cinema Club at Heliopolis Library, Cairo, 1968. It holds shows on Fridays and Saturdays of every week. 7- Cinema Club at Al Ahram Newspaper, Cairo. 8- "Egyptian Cinema and Human Rights 2000". Seminar held by "the Human Rights Society for Helping Prisoners". It holds a monthly screening of an Egyptian film that tackle human rights, particularly those of prisoners, followed by a discussion of a research paper on an extensive study of the objective, legal and artistic features of the film. Active cinematic societies for professionals are: 1-Egyptian Documentary Films Group, Cairo, 1972. It aims at ex-panding the propagation of documentary films culture, particularly among its active member professionals and associated non-professionals. 2- The Egyptian Film Critics Society, Cairo, 1972. It is a society to as-semble Egyptian cinema critics, in addition to the membership of (FIPRECI). 3- The Egyptian Film Writers and Critics Society /Cairo 1973. Its membership includes both professional critics and screenwriters (story-dialogue-scenario). 4- The Egyptian Society for Cinematography, Cairo, 1987: Its main activity focuses on issuing the well known art magazine El cinema Wal Nass (Cinema and People), in addition to holding an annual Ceremony of Egyptian Cinema titled "The Egyptian Cinema Oscar Festival". 5- The Egyptian Society for Directors of Photography, Cairo, 1988. It membership is limited to this specific branch of cinema, with the aim of organizing practical and social relations among its members, and to be briefed on up-to-date techniques of photography. 6- Egyptian Cinema Female Professional, Cairo, 1922. Its objectives combine between few of cinematic culture orientations and a lot of various social orientations. In conclusion, the historical review indicates that Egypt is one of the countries which possesses an active cinematic culture, through early set up of cinema societies (1921). Cairo Film Festival… a Window on World Cinema It was August 16th 1976, when the first Cairo International Film Festival was launched by the Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics (EAFWC), headed by Kamel El-Mallakh. The Association ran the festival for seven years until 1983. In order to improve the event, the Ministry of Culture, the members of the Association, and the Union of Artists' Syndicate, which supervised the event in 1984, formed a joint committee. In 1985, the Festival began a new era under the leadership of the eminent play writer Saad El-Din Wahba, an eminent writer and efficient executive, who was appointed by the Minister of Culture. Then, the Festival became an independent organization. During his initial year of responsibility, Saad El-Din Wahba contacted the International Federation of Film Producers Association (FIAPF), and in May 1986, this august body recognized the Cairo International Film Festival as a non-competitive event. In 1990, the FIAPF made a study of the three most important non-competitive film festivals in the world, and the Cairo International Film Festival was ranked second after the London Film Festival and a head of the Stockholm Film Festival. This achievement lead to the President of the Festival again contacting the FIAPF with the request that a competition should be included at the 1991 Festival. The request was granted. Four years later, the journalist and writer Cherif El-Shoubashy became president. For 29 years, the home of the Pyramids and Nile has hosted international superstars like Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Bud Spencer, Gina Lollobrigida, Ornella Mutti, Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Victoria Abril, Elizabeth Taylor, SHashi Kapoor, Alain Delon, Greta Scacchi, Catherine Deneuve, Peter O'toole, Christopher Lee, Irene Pappas, Marcello Mastroianni and Omar Sharif, as well as great directors like Robert Wise, Elia Kazan, Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Stone, Ronald Joffe, Carlos Saura, Ismail Merchant and Michel Angle Antonioni, in an annual celebration and examination of he state of cinema in the world today. Herewith are some important dynamics of the festival in its first five rounds: The First Round: Was held on the 17th of August 1976 and inaugurated by the then PM and honorary head of the EAFWC. In this round 33 Arab and foreign countries have participated with 88 films: 28 of which joined the official competition and 28 films joined the Egyptian Film Panorama. The opening film was "Be ware of Theatre". Head of the juries was James Kurtis from the US and the panel of juries included Shadi Abdel Salam (Almuthneboun)" was awarded best film, Said Marzouq was awarded best director and best actor to Emad Hamdi. The Second Round: Was held on the 26th of September and inaugurated by the then minister of culture Youssef El-Sebai. 42 countries participated with 100 films inside and outside the official competition and in the panorama of Egyptian movies commemorating 50 years on the establishment of Egyptian cinema industry. The opening film was the Italian (Simple Heart" and the English actor Trevor Howard was head of the juries. The panel of juries included Egyptian director Salah Abou Seif. Guests of this round included Youssef Wahbi, Tawfiq al-Hakim and Naguib Mahfouz. Despite the attack directed to the round of the festival it complete its activities. Kamal el-Mallakh president of the festival then replied on what he described as "the massacre of the festival" and said the "our success will continue, don't worry. It is remarkable that our festival became an international one. Mistakes happen in every festival in the world and we will always learn from them." The Third Round: Held on the 25th of September 1978. 40 countries participated with 200 films, 20 films of which compete in the official competition. Kamal el-Sheikh was among the juries and hence his film "ascending to deep bottom" was withdrawn from the competition. The German film "the first actor" got the golden Neferteti award, and the Iranian film 'the journey of the stone" won the silver Nefertari award. Egyptian actor Mahmoud Yassin and Moroccan actor Nabil Lahoud were granted two certificates of honour. In short films the Hungarian film "the two tenants" won golden prize and the Egyptian film "the holy book" directed by Abdel Qader el-Telmesani won the silver prize. The Fourth Round: Held on the 17th of September 1979 and was inaugurated by Mansour Hassan the then minister of culture and media. 37 countries have participated with 100 films. Nine Egyptian films participated in the competition. The opening film was "the night patrol" and the opening ceremony was held in Kasr el-Nil Cinema. This round was not held under the international umbrella after the official competition and prizes were cancelled. This happened because in this round the festival transformed into a market with x-rated scenes, and some film tapes were ruined and thus some of the participants demanded compensations and filed a complain to the FIAPF which in turn stripped the festival of its international legality. In 1980, the festival failed to materialize after the severe attach on its organizing body the EAFWC. The Fifth Round: Was held on the 7th of December 1981. the opening film was the Italian film "the three brothers". Egypt has participate with 17 films in the Panorama of Egyptian Films. 13 countries participated with only 45 films. The famous Egyptian composer Mohamed Abdel Wahhab attended the closing ceremony in which he was honoured. Among the distinguished Egyptian films in this round was "the man who says no" directed by Niazi Moustafa. A panorama for German films was also held in this round. Kamal el-Mallakh, president of the festival said in a statement that "the 5th Cairo Cinema Festival is a festival with no prizes aimed at screening universal films that have been shown in international cinema festivals." In the 30th round of the festival held from 28th of November till 8th of December 2006 Ezzat Abu Ouf was appointed as the festival's new president after Cherif El-Shoubashy who resigned from the presidency. In a new trend the minister of culture Farouk Hosni brought two Egyptian Businessmen as financial and administrative sponsors to the festival. The revenues of the festival increased as an American company was granted the rights of recording and marketing the festival. The value of all prizes also increased and a number of international super stars were invited as Omar Sharif was the honorary president of the festival and he had good connections with international superstars. The logo of the festival in this round changed from the pyramids to the pharaonic Ankh (key of life). The year's guest of honour was Latin American cinema. 15 countries participated in the official competition with 18 films including 3 from Egypt. For the first time in the festival there was a competition for the feature digital films whose golden prize amounted 10,000 LE. Also this year's festival witnessed the comeback of the "film market" in which production companies from Egypt, Asia, Latin America and the Arab world participated. The prizes of this year had a pharaonic feature: the best film was awarded the golden Ankh where as the silver pyramid goes to the film awarded the special jury prize. |
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