The Ministry of Culture announced Wednesday that it would cancel the Cairo International Film Festival this year due to the country’s political and economic instability.
In a statement, the ministry canceled the 35th annual film festival and said the festival would resume next year, referring to parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for this fall. The culture minister also called on the National Cinema Center to review all of Egypt's cinematic events and make a plan, according to which international and national festivals would be organized and financially supported.
First held in 1976, the Cairo International Film Festival is considered one of the ten most important such events worldwide. Ezzat abu Ouf, who has presided over the festival since 2007, said in March that it would be difficult to hold the festival in November as scheduled due to unrest and the lack of sponsors.
“It would be hard if 560 guests from around the world came to Egypt in such a state of insecurity. Any problem may provoke a crisis,” Ouf said.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
