This year's Cairo International Film Festival will introduce an app for phones and tablets for the first time. According to Al-Ahram Arabic, the application will launch prior to the festival's opening and will reach out to audiences and involve them more. It will include the festival's schedule, information about films, screening times, and the booking system. The app is part of CIFF's efforts to introduce and utilise technology in the festival for wider audience accessibility, and to lessen the use of paper. Last year, CIFF started using phone messages (SMS) to inform audiences of any adjustments in its schedule. Egyptian director Kamla Abouzekri's Yom Lel Setat (A Day for Women) will open the festival. The film, which will also participate in the festival's official competition, is produced by Egyptian actress Ilham Shahin who also stars in the film, and is scripted by Hanaa Attia and stars Nelly Karim, Mahmoud Hemeda, Farouk El-Fishawy, Ahmed El-Fishawy, Nahed El-Sebaei, Ahmed Daoud, Eyad Nasser, and Hala Sedky. In July, Magda Wassef announced in a press release that five halls would screen the festival's films this year, three in Odeon Cinema and two in Cinema Karim. With Cairo Opera House's five screening halls, the total number of screening rooms will be 10, expanding the festival's audience capacity. This decision comes four years after the festival halted screenings in Downtown Cairo for security reasons and has since been confined to screening films within the Cairo Opera House grounds. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
