Eight Oscar-hopeful films will be screened at the upcoming 38th Cairo International Film Festival from 15 to 24 November, including Egypt's submission for the foreign language category, Clash by Mohamed Diab. The seven other films are from Germany, Hungary, Canada, Slovakia, Philippines, Nepal, and Saudi Arabia, and like Clash all are candidates for the Best Film in a Foreign Language category at the 89th Academy Awards. The final shortlist of the five nominees has yet to be announced by the Academy. Egypt's nomination, Clash, will be screened in a special section that celebrates recent award-winning Egyptian films. The film explores the confrontations between pro- and anti-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators that emerged following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi from power in 2013. The German film Tony Erdman by Maren Ade tells the tale of an eccentric father trying to get closer to his only daughter who works in another country. It scooped the FIPRESCI Prize presented by the International Critics Association. Hungary's contender, Kills on Wheels by Attila Till, is a comedy-drama that follows three disabled people on wheelchairs, who carry out unexpected operations. From Slovakia comes Eva Nova, directed by Marko Skop, a film centred on an actress recovering from alcoholism and trying to reconnect with her son. It's Only the End of the World, by Canadian director Xavier Dolan, tells the story of a writer diagnosed with a serious illness who returns to his family after a long absence. Ma' Rosa, by Brillante Mendoza of the Philippines is about a Filipina mother of four who sells narcotics to make ends meet. When she and her husband end up in jail, their children do everything they can to get them out. The film earned its star Jaclyn Jose a Best Actress Award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The Black Hen, from Nepal and directed by Kalo Pothi, follows two boys in a Nepalese village, who become friends in the midst of a civil war ceasefire. Together, they raise a hen which they eventually lose. The film garnered the Best Film Award at the 2015 International Film Critics Week in Venice. The Saudi Arabian film Barakah Meets Barakah by Mahmoud Sabbagh will screen at the Cairo festival's The Prospects of Arab Cinema parallel programme. The film deals with the difficulties encountered by young boys and girls in a country that prohibits mixed gatherings. 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
