Egypt's animated feature film El Leila El Kebira to see light in 2022
Shorouk Yasser , Tuesday 12 May 2020
The Grand Night (El Leila El Kebira) has received the support of MIFA, an initiative embracing films in their first stages of development


Giraffics, the producer of The Grand Night (El Leila El Kebira) announced that the film will participate in the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France) for the MIFA Pitches.

Held annually every June, the MIFA (Marché international du film d'animation, which translates to 'International market of animated films') is an initiative held as part of theAnnecy International Animation Film Festival with the aimof supporting "original projects, in their first stages of development and looking for producers, distributors and funding," the festival's website reveals. The chosen animated films are then presented during the official ceremony at the Mifa Pitch sessions.

El Leila El Kebira is the first animated feature film produced in Egypt which touches on the topic of the known operetta and Egyptian folkloric traditions.

The producer of the film announced the news on Facebook, saying that: “The Grand Night is originally the name of a famous Egyptian operetta that was created in the 1960s. It portrays the atmosphere of Al-Moulid, a traditional folkloric festival in which Egyptian families get together to chant songs, watch shows, play games, enjoy street food and more. With modernised features, relatable struggles and an original plot, the movie revives the popular characters and songs of the operetta, along with other folkloric figures in Egyptian culture."

According to producer Ahmed Hamouda, "the movie follows the story of 10-year-old Laila, who takes pride in her 'pretending' abilities and avoids her friends’ bullying by hiding her passion for storytelling with her grandfather’s puppets. One night, Laila curiously peeks into her grandfather’s old bioscope and ends up on a journey of self-discovery, in the world of her favorite puppets. Now, they count on her to confront and defeat Ghoula, a brainwashing villain."

“The moral behind The Grand Night is to appreciate one’s identity, which goes in perfect harmony with our personal story behind the project. It all started when we realized that there is a gap in the animation industry when it comes to the representation of Egyptian culture and that it is time we tell our own folkloric stories in a way that the world can relate to and understand but has never seen before. We are opening a door, entering an untapped world and inviting the world to join,” Hamouda adds.

The 1hr 20 mins long film will be based on 2D technology and is directed byAhmed Gamal and Ahmed Teilab.

The script is written byKarim Dalil and Eman Askar, the graphic designer is Noha Abdelnasser, and the music is by Khaled Kammar.

Produced byGiraffics company, Ahmed Hamouda, Axeer and Abdulrahman Khedr, the film is planned for release in 2022.

Since the 1980s, the MIFA Pitches take place as part of theAnnecy International Animation Film Festival (launched in 1960) attracting producers, distributors and potential funders to get acquainted with the projects of animated films presented in four categories: feature films, short films, TV series and specials and digital experiences.

This year, the festival will take place between 16 and 19 June.

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