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Can international film festival help Egypt revive tourism?

Faced with an anemic economy and fears of terrorism, the 38th annual international film festival in Cairo lacked star power and international appeal.
Chinese director Jia Zhangke receives the Faten Hamama Excellence Award during the opening ceremony of the 38th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), in Cairo, Egypt, November 15, 2016. Picture taken November 15, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany - RTX2TXRT

It was perhaps not the best time for Cairo to host its annual international film festival. Grappling with multiple challenges, including a struggling economy, terrorism in Sinai and a standoff with journalists, the Egyptian government has its plate full.

But the authorities in Cairo had hoped the 38th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) would attract a large number of foreign visitors at a time when tourism, the lifeblood of the Egyptian economy, has been hard hit by terror fears. In his address at the opening ceremony, Minister of Tourism Mohamed Rashed expressed his support for the festival, which he said “bears witness to the fact that Egypt is stable and safe and ... capable of hosting such grand international events.”

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