Bibliotheca Alexandrina will screen five short films by young Egyptian directors over four days, starting on 28 August, following each screening with a talk by the film-maker. All the films are in Arabic with English subtitles, and range between 10 to 30 minutes long. Aida, a film by Maysoon El-Massry, is to be screened. El-Massry's previous film titled Al-Bostan Al-Saeed Street was screened in 2014 at Zawya's Short Film festival. Zakerat Abad El-Shams (A Stroll Down Sunflower Lane) by Mayye Zayed was among seven Egyptian films to be screened at Berlinale's Forum Expanded. It also screened at the French Institute in Cairo's 12th edition of Rencontres de l'Image film festival. Tashkeel by Muhammad Mustapha was also screened at the 12th edition of Rencontres de l'Image film festival. The film, which portrays mahraganat music, was banned by order of Egypt's censorship board from screening at Zawya's Short Film Festival. Although the reasons for banning the film were not declared, obscene language and religious considerations could be behind the decision, according to commentators. Bibliotheca will also screen a second film by Mustapha, titled The Tree. The last film, Sherif El-Bendary's Dry Hot Summers, had its world premiere at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival, before it won the Robert Bosch Stiftung Film Prize for International Cooperation at a gala held during Berlinale Talents. The film was also selected to open the 18th International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts. Dry Hot Summers was written by Nura El-Sheikh and co-produced by Claudia Jubeh from Germany and Hossam El-Ouan, an Egyptian. Programme: Sunday 28 August Aida, by Maysoon El-Massry (2015) Documentary, 20 mins Monday 29 August A Stroll Down Sunflower Lane, by Mayye Zayed (2016) Fiction, 14 mins Tuesday 30 August The Tree, by Muhammad Mustapha (2015) Experimental, 10 mins Tashkeel, by Muhammad Mustapha (2015) Documentary, 12 mins Wednesday 31 August Dry Hot Summers, by Sherif El-Bendary (2015) Fiction, 30 mins All screenings will be held at Bibliotheca's Auditorium hall at 8pm.
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