PROGRAMME: Screenings at AUC to explore new cinema language in Egypt (Trailers)

Ahram Online , Tuesday 14 Apr 2015

Themed 'Egyptian Carvings in Film Language,' the four-day panorama will explore new cinematic voices of Egyptian filmmakers

Still from the film 'Resident of the City'

Between Thursday 16 and Sunday 19 April, the American University in Cairo will screen a series of short and feature films by Egyptian filmmakers.

Running under the theme of "Egyptian Carvings in Film Language" the programme includes several full-length and short films, documentaries and features, coming from young filmmakers who, according to Arab Lotfi, film professor at the AUC and responsible for the project, "try to introduce new language to Egyptian cinema."

"It is our role as the film department at the American University to take notice of the new waves that dominate Egyptian cinema," she revealed to Ahram Online, explaining that the Egyptian Carvings is an important panorama that focuses on the most recent movies, whether they are full-length or short, which are characterised by the challenge that they present to previous cinematic forms.

"In our long history of cinema in Egypt -- which exceeds one century -- the development always comes at the hands of young budding filmmakers who come forward with new ideas, new ways of expressing themselves and new cinematic formats. They become controversial at first, yet with time they become incorporated into the language of cinema and turn into established filmmakers. Then the new language appears... and so on," Lotfi explained, pointing to several films in the market that testify to an important threshold in Egyptian cinematic history.

As such, "Egyptian Carvings in Film Language" aims at capturing the new emerging voices with the AUC, providing a platform to promote them.

The programme includes a big assortment of movies: six full-length films that incorporate two documentaries -- Trace of the Butterfly and Waves -- and four features: Coming Forth By Day, Décor, The Cat as well as Chaos, Disorder.

Short films coming from a number of filmmakers also vary between features and documentaries, with length ranging between a few minutes and 45 minutes. All films were already screened at a variety of national and international festivals with a few garnering recognitions.

All screenings take place at the Falaki Theatre, AUC downtown, Cairo

PROGRAMME

Thursday 16 April

5pm
Opening

6pm
- The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometre 375, short by Omar El-Zohairy
- A Resident of the City, short by Adham El-Sherif

7.30pm
- Décor, feature by Ahmad Abdalla