By Madame Sosostris The 17th Rabat International Festival of the Auteur (RIFA) opened with a prestigious ceremony at the Mohamed V Theatre, under the auspices of King Mohamed VI of Morocco and in the presence of the Moroccan Minister of Information Khaled Al-Nasri as well the president of the festival Abdel-Haq Montaresh and a coterie of intellectuals and celebrities. This round is held under the slogan "Against Piracy". The jury is headed by the veteran Tunisian filmmaker Reda Al-Bahi and includes the Egyptian actress Lebleba, the Moroccan actress Sanaa Mouzian and the Iranian filmmaker Abbas Bekhtiari. The festival honoured Syrian cinema, represented by a delegation headed by Youssef Dak Al-Bab. The Moroccan actress Thoraya Gubran and the Egyptian actress Laila Elwi received a warm welcome at the festival. To celebrate the US-Egypt 2011 Science Year, the US Embassy in Egypt hosted a seminar featuring five American science journalists who had attended the World Conference of Science Journalists in Doha last week. The seminar aims at strengthening relations between the US and Egypt and promoting scientific education and research in Egypt. It was held at the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek and attended by our very own Environment Editor Mahmoud Bakr and Al-Ahram Weekly's Features Editor Dena Rashed. The trainers of the workshop were Beryl Benderly (a Washington-based health and science writer), Deborah Blum (a Pulitzer-prize winning science writer and professor of journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1997), Curtis Brainard (a science editor for the Columbia Journalism Review), David Dobbs (a writer of features and essays for publications such as The Atlantic and New York Times magazine) and Chris Mooney (a science and political journalist and commentator). The Champollion Rotary Club (CRC) held its prestigious annual celebration at the Nile City Towers, where the president, Nahed Tadros handed the presidency of the club to Omar El-Geddawi. CRC members and society ladies enjoyed a lovely evening crowned by the presence of Daniel Loro, Essam Goha, Paul Intaki, Brigitte Louvivre, Momtaz Laham, AUC professor Mona Zaki, Dina Mazawi and Amal El-Menayli. The Canadian Ambassador to Egypt Ferry de Kerckhove welcomed guests at his residence in Zamalek on the occasion of ending his term in Egypt. The prestigious reception was attended by Minister of Finance Samir Radwan, President of the International Union of Muslim-Christian-Jewish Dialogue and Peace Education Ali El-Samman, education expert Nawal El-Degwi, Turkish Ambassador to Egypt Héseyin Avni Botsali and his Singaporean counterpart Tan Hung Seng as well as a range of diplomats and society figures. �ôï The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria saw an interesting festival of singing that aims to encourage tourism in Egypt. Singer Azza Balbaa was among those who participated with a thrilling concert to which her fans flocked in droves. The festival showcased an assortment of rising stars such as Rami Essam, Mahmoud El-Mohandess, Mustafa El-Baroudi, Belal and Medhat Diab. Bands like Taxi, Camera and Asfalt also contributed a range of contemporary Egyptian songs.
