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SHNIT International Film Festival in Cairo for second time Between 2 and 6 October, SHNIT International Film Festival will screen short films at Cairo Opera House's Creativity Centre
The 11th-annual SHNIT International Film Festival will premiere in Cairo on Wednesday, with screenings held at Cairo's Creativity Centre between 2 and 6 October. The annual festival, based in Switzerland and showcased across five continents, functions as an international platform for filmmakers, writers and producers. The 2013 host countries include Egypt, Thailand, Argentina, South Africa, Japan, the United States, Costa Rica and Switzerland. Egypt is the only Middle Eastern country to participate in this year's SHNIT. This is Egypt's second time to host the festival. Participating cities, known as 'playgrounds', will screen the internationally competing films while also contributing local sponsorships, partnerships, and grants. For five consecutive days, the 'playgrounds' will present a selection of over 200 short films across all genres. Attending audiences in each city can vote on their favorite film for the "Audience Award." Votes will be sent to Bern, Switzerland, and the festival winner will be announced at the end of the week. The 'Cairo playground', under the management of Mona Iraqi, held a local competition featuring 40 amateur and professional filmmaker submissions. The competition's finalists, selected by director Samir Seif, film critic Rami Abdul Razzaq, and script writer Mariam Naoum, will be announced on the festival's opening night. Both culture minister Mohamed Saber and Swiss ambassador Markus Leitner are expected to attend the opening night. The SHNIT festival was launched in 2003 and went international in 2008. The festival's aim is to highlight short film productions as an independent art form across the globe. With a focus on both aesthetics and contextual originality, SHNIT-selected short films are true works of art. Egypt has witnessed a rise in short film festivals, as young directors and audiences explore the possibilities and boundaries of this budding field. In light of Egypt's recent turmoil, event manager and film director Mona Iraqi hopes the SHNIT festival will send a message that Cairo's art and cultural sphere is alive and thriving. Programme 2-6 October. Screenings begin at 7pm Creativity Centre (Markaz Al-Ebda'), Cairo Opera House grounds, Zamalek A detailed programme is available at the Creativity Centre. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/82830.aspx
