On Sunday evening at Downtown Cairo's Goethe Institute, local film aficionados and filmmakers alike were privy to an informative panel discussion entitled “Cinema and Cooperation” about the future of the Arab film industry and the availability of cooperative aid in project development. The panel was moderated by Cairo based film analyst, Alaa Karkouti, and featured Vincenzo Bugno, Berlin International Film Festival delegate for the Arab world and the Project Manager of the Berlinale's World Cinema Fund. Bugno told Daily News Egypt, “It's all about co-operation and creating solidarity within the industry in developing markets such as, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Caucasus, and South East Asia.” Bugno arrived to Cairo last Thursday to conduct various meetings with Egyptian cinema figures in order to gain a better assessment of the current state of the local film industry. In his time here, he also sought to identify new Egyptian film productions and potential projects for the Berlin International Film Festival. The 60-year-old Berlinale is one of the world's leading film festivals and reputable international media events. One of the largest publically attended festivals, the Berlinale is considered a leading platform for showcasing films while providing a breeding ground for creative collaboration, industry networking and project development. Co-founded by Bugno in 2004, the Berlinale's World Cinema Fund provides development and support to cinema in countries with a weak film infrastructure along with supporting films that could not otherwise be produced without additional funding, proving the festival's dedication to the advancement of the art. In the past decade, the Berlinale has only showed the screening of two Egyptian films: “The Yacoubian Building” directed by Marwan Hamed in 2006 and ‘The Aquarium,” by Yousry Nasrallah in 2008. However, according to Bugno, it seems that a closer eye will be placed on Egypt. “I am absolutely convinced that Egypt is one of the focuses of the film industry in the future as everyone knows Egypt has played a very important role in the region's history of commercial cinema.” Out of 275 film projects, 12 Arab films have been selected to receive support by the World Cinema Fund this year. The winners will be announced and screened at the upcoming Berlinale in February 2012. “The World Cinema Fund looks for films that stand out with an innovative aesthetic approach, that tell powerful stories and that have a unique artistic vision,” Bugno said. “We seek projects that have a truly powerful local story or essence.” While most recent films relating to the Egyptian revolution have been rather reactive, unimaginative, and borderline repetitive, Bugno insists that this is not necessarily a detriment, but instead, it's a building ground to identify new talent. “What is crucial now is for the cinema industry to understand the shift of focus on the Arab region and start thinking about which type of cinema could be the future depiction of the revolutions, which stories should be told to the audience, not only inside the country but outside. “We need to determine how we can try and support a new wave or new point of view in the cinema world of these [Arab] countries,” added Bugno. Overall, the panel was less of an interactive discussion with audience members, but more of an informative delivery of facts regarding the challenges of cinema in the Arab region, while also providing some motivating solutions and accessible resources. “The revolution in Egypt just happened,” Bugno told DNE. “We do not expect an influx of master directors or films in such a short time; however, we are eagerly seeking to identify potential talent. “Local filmmakers need to focus on coming up with the strong cultural story, lay down the initial ground work, and make the movie. There are ample resources available to facilitate the process along the way.”
