CAIRO — Egypt assuming the presidency of the African Union (AU) in 2019 aims to boost the cooperation between Cairo and African capitals from politics to infrastructure, from the TV industry to soccer. Filmmakers, artists and organizers hope that the cooperation will extend to the cinema industry, with more African films screened in Egyptian film theaters and Egyptian films making a comeback onto African screens.
A key step in that direction is the eighth edition of the Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF) whicht took place on March 15-21. Held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the festival honored director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun from Chad, whose film “Dry Season” (2006) won the Grand Special Jury Prize in Venice and ”A Screaming Man” (2010) won the Jury Prize in Cannes, making Haroun the first Chadian director to enter as well as win an award in Cannes.
