The Cannes International Film Festival in April announced a new plan to host a “country of honor” at the festival each year, and that Egypt will be the first, in tribute to the January 25 revolution. After the success of the Egyptian revolution, Egypt will finally be taking part in the Cannes Film Festival 2011 for its 64th edition. The festival kicks off May 11, and will continue for 12 successive days. A celebration will be held on May 18 to commemorate the late Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Shahin. In the celebration, the Egyptian film “18 Days,” a collaborative effort of short films from 10 Egyptian directors, 20 actors, 6 writers based on the January 25 revolution in Egypt, will also be presented on screen. All profits from the film will be donated to organizing political and public education missions in Egyptian villages. An official dinner with the Egyptian Culture Minister Emad Abou Ghazy and the Egyptian Ambassador to France will follow, according to the festival's official website. A concert with Egyptian music band “West el-Balad” will round out the celebration with a concert that evening. May 19 will be purely an Egyptian day of the festival, where only Egyptian films will be screened. The participating films are “Ihtibas” by filmmaker Sherief Arafa, “Dakhili/Khariji” by Yousry Nasrallah, “Tahrir 2-2″ by Mariam Abou Ouf, “19-19″ by Marwan Hamed, “Lamma Yjik al-Tofan” by Mohamed Ali, “Khelqat Rabbena” by Kamela Abou Zekry, “Hazr Tajawol” by Sherief el-Bendary, “Kaak al-Tahrir” by Khaled Marey, “Shebbak” by Ahmed Abdullah and “Hallaq al-Thawra” by Ahmed Alaa. The Egyptian film “The Postman” or “al-Bostagui” by Hussein Kamal will also be shown among the Cannes Classics selections. From the first season of the Festival in 1946 until 2004, 22 Egyptian feature films have been screened. Only one feature film was screened out of competition during the 2006 season entitled “These Girls” by Tahani Rached. Among these 22 films, 14 took part in competitions between 1946 and 1997, 3 were presented on the Un Certain Regard program, which is selected by the Festival´s official management between 1987 and 2004 and 5 films, which were selected by the French Film Association, were screened as part of the Directors' Fortnight program between 1973 and 1990. The 14 feature films that were screened are a good illustration of the Egyptian school of cinematography in its illustrious beginnings after the Second World War and then in its heyday in the 1950s with the screening of two films at the Festival. On the other hand, the break in relations between Egypt and France after the Suez crisis resulted in the absence of Egyptian films in the Festival between 1957 and 1963. In 1946, the Festival screened “Donya” by Mohammed Karim. Another prominent Egyptian director, Youssef Wahbi, was appointed a member of the jury. In 1949, “al-bayt al-kabir” by Ahmed Kamel Morsi represented the first generation of pioneers in Egyptian cinema, whereas “The Adventures of Antar and Abla” by Salah Abu Seif represented the second generation. In 1952, the Festival screened “A Night of Love,” directed by Ahmed Badrakhan and “Son of the Nile” directed by Youssef Shahin representing the third generation of pioneers. The festival has also added two special screenings to its official lineup announced on April 14, namely Tunisian documentary “Plus Jamais Peur” or “No more fear” by Mourad Ben Cheikh, which French Cukture Minister Frederic Mitterrand invited the Egyptian delegation to watch, and Josh Tickell's U.S. documentary “The Big Fix” produced by Peter Fonda. Egypt will be the first of a new Cannes tradition to welcome a guest country every year. BM
