The Egyptian movie industry continues its decline during the Eid season. After suffering a tough summer with lower-than-usual income from Egyptian cinematic productions (due to an early Ramadan and World Cup-obsessed youth), the current Eid season is not expected to yield any better results.
According to the Egyptian Chamber of Cinema Industries, movie production in Egypt, which used to be called the Hollywood al-Sharq (the Hollywood of the East), dropped from 60 films in 2007 to only 12 in 2009. Owners of theater complexes in the major cities of Egypt have had to turn to the US, the Hollywood of the West, to fill their screens.
Releasing a foreign film during the Eid season used to be unheard of. According to Tarek al-Shinawy, an Egyptian film critic, minister of culture Farouq Hosni used to ban movie theaters from releasing non-Egyptian productions during the Eid season in order to support the cinema industry at home.
“The small number of Egyptian movie releases this month has forced the ministry to look the other way,” explained al-Shinawy. “The screens around Cairo need to be filled with new movies to attract people celebrating, or else cinema complexes might as well close their doors.”
The relation between seasonal new releases and the development of the Egyptian movie industry is complex. “If the government offices kept up their prejudice [against foreign releases] for Eid , the movement towards building new theater complexes would be negatively affected,” explained al-Shinawy. “The movies released during this season are usually the worst of the lot. They are low quality films aiming only to bring in laughs.”
Films from outside Egypt have been allowed in the past, but less openly. “This is not the first Eid season when Hollywood films were released,” says Alaa Karkouti, a Syrian film analyst. “The season usually welcomes family films and cartoons side by side with Egyptian releases, as these types of films are not considered to be competing with the Egyptian cinema industry.”
In the past four years, film distribution companies used to “trick” the system by releasing the new Egyptian films during the Eid season while keeping foreign films, released before Ramadan, on the main screens. This year, however, that technique changed.
“I expect good foreign films to be released this season,” al-Shinawy said. “These films are not aimed at people who are just looking for cheap laughter with the Egyptian projects, but rather people who appreciate art.”
2010 foreign releases, such as "Predators," "The Losers," and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," arrived at Egyptian cinemas early in Ramadan. There was a noticeable shift in attitude toward cinema in Egyptian society.
“I went to see 'Predators' with my friends after iftar couple of days ago,” said Ahmed, 28, who considers himself a “movie-geek.” “I was waiting for that film since it topped the US box office almost a month ago, and although I was disappointed by the film itself, I was happy it got released during Ramadan.”
“I’m not the Ramadan TV series type,” said Mayada, a young artist. “Going to the movies is part of my inspiration process, and seeing 'The Sorcerer’s Apprentice' introduced me to some beautiful colors and ideas I hadn’t thought of before.”
These three new releases are expected to stay in cinemas during Eid, along with the latest Silvester Stallone ensemble project "The Expendables," which was released only two days before the end of Ramadan, and "Cats and Dogs II: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," a family movie.
“'The Expendables' is expected to bring in cash,” said Karkouti. “The Eid season is the best time to release such a film with so many American action heroes starring in it. [The distribution companies] could not keep the movie waiting until after the Eid season, or else it would be too late to release it. They, however, did not release it on the first day of Eid, to avoid controversy. They doubt any good income from Egyptian films released now.”
Releasing foreign films might end up becoming the norm for the Eid season. “Here is hope that this new technique works,” said Karkouti. “Maybe releasing good new foreign films in the Eid season will increase income during what is considered the lowest financial season.”
But maybe, despite huge efforts to bring audiences back to movie theaters, the financial income of the Eid season will still not be as high as production companies hope, for reasons having nothing to do with the films or their countries of origin.
“The season is between the end of the Ramadan, with all of its expense, and the beginning of the new school year,” said Karkouti. “Any Egyptian household will think twice before buying the expensive cinema tickets.”
