In the opening day of the Cairo Industry Days segment, the Cairo International Film Festival's (CIFF) management confirmed that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has awarded the festival with the Oscar qualifying privileges. This award makes CIFF the only festival in North Africa on the list of qualifying international festivals, standing next to Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Sundance. Consequently, “the winner of the Best Short Film award in the Short film competition ‘Cinema of Tomorrow' section will be eligible for consideration in the Animated and Live Action Short Film Categories of the Academy Awards without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with academy rules.” CIFF President Mohamed Hefzy said, “We are incredibly proud to have been selected to join the ranks of Oscar qualifying festivals and grateful to the academy for their support of our festival. This honour is a validation of our festival and the incredible selection of innovative films we showcase every year from some of the most exciting filmmaking talents working in the global film industry today. The opportunity to gain this type of recognition will help filmmakers achieve global attention for their extraordinary storytelling in the short film format.” The festival, which opened on 20 November and continues until 29 November, showcases over 150 films from 63 different countries. Its segment related to the film industry, Cairo Industry Days (22-26 November) brings together industry professionals from around the world to engage in a programme of master classes, panel discussions and events designed to inspire, display and support regional filmmaking talents. Presided over by Egyptian producer Hefzy (heading the festival in its 40th and 41st rounds), the CIFF has witnessed many developments re-positioning it on the international map.
