The festival will mark what would be Morsi’s 100th birthday, celebrating his most important works through film screenings and talks, announced a press release on Sunday.

A book about Morsi’s career, currently being written by critic Walid Seif, will also be launched at the festival.

Born in Alexandria in 1923, Mahmoud Morsi lent his talents to a range of classic films, such as The Last Night (1964), The Quail & Autumn (1967), Edge of the Sword (1968) and A Taste of Fear (1969) to name a few.

Morsi’s son Alaa Mahmoud Morsi has been invited to attend the opening ceremony, and receive the festival’s honorary shield.

Alexandria's red carpet

At last year's 38th edition, the festival showcased 77 films from 29 countries in its Long and Short Narrative competitions, as well as a parallel programme for comedy films, named after famous actor Mahmoud Hemeida.

The Alexandria Film Festival will continue to welcome submissions to its categories on the official festival website until 30 July.

The annual event is organised by the Egyptian Association of Cinema Authors and Critics, headed by its president El-Amir Abaza, and is sponsored by the Egyptian Ministries of Culture, Tourism and Social Solidarity, as well as Alexandria Governorate and private companies.