Cairo film festival kicks off

CAIRO: The 36th Cairo International Film Festival launched Sunday night at the Salah El din Citadel on Mokattam hill near center of Cairo.
The award’s jury is headed by renowned Egyptian actress Yousra.
The festival was attended by Egypt’s Culture Minister Gaber Asfour and Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou besides a number of Egyptian Actors and critics likes; Elham Shahen, Somia Al-Khashab , and Laila Olwy. Egypt is represented by the film “Bab Al-Wadaa” (The Farewell Door), a silent feature film directed by Karim Hanafi.
The festival was not held twice since January 2011 uprising.It was canceled in 2011 and 2013 due to political instability.
The all-famous Yousra, known for her roles in such classics as Youssef Chahine’s An Egyptian Tale, has been selected to lead the eight-member judging panel for the International Competition at the film festival.
The panel will also include such notables as acclaimed Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai, Ethiopian director Haile Gerima, Dutch filmmaker Corrine van Egeraat, French director Dominique Cabrera, Lebanese film critic Ibrahim Al-Arees and Greek film critic Alexis Grivas.