Egypt has no shortage of art and entertainment. Forever, it has been known for carrying the entire weight of pop culture and cinema in the MENA region, which is something that naturally leads to the sprouting of many art movements. From Alexandria to Cairo, and all the way to Gouna, Egypt has been known to be the birthplace of a number of international film festivals.
Another, more diverse, fairly old, yet not as prevalent introduction is the Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF). The event had its 11th edition on March 4, 2022. So what is it all about and why is it so important to Egypt and the entire African continent?
A Brief History
The festival idea was conceived in mid-2010; however, the first edition of LAFF started in 2012. It is run by Independent Shabab Foundation (ISF) with Writer Sayed Fouad and director Azza al-Husseny as co-founders.
The festival became an institute and a monument for African films, so much so that the Malmö Arab Film Festival recognized LAFF for having “made great strides and becoming one of the most important festivals specialized in African cinema.”
A Brief on Awards
LAFF paved the way in many ways for African cinema and culture to be recognized and celebrated in Egypt, not just for its importance as a key cultural element of the region, but also to celebrate the African heritage of Egypt as a part of a continent that is as rich and deep as it is ancient.
The 11th Edition
As mentioned before the 11th edition of LAFF is bigger than ever with tributes to significant actors and artists in the film industry in the region such as Biyouna, Férid Boughedir, Hussein Fahmy, and Amr Saad.
The movie submissions fall under four categories, long narrative, long documentary, short films, and diaspora. The submissions are very diverse this year with almost most African countries participating.
The award winners are still yet to be announced since the festival just started but the awards are expected to be given as follows The Grand Nile Prize for Best Long Film, The Jury Prize for Long Film, The Prize for Best Artistic Contribution in a Long Film, The Grand Nile Prize for Short Film, The Jury Prize for Short Film, The Prize for Best Artistic Contribution in a Short Film.