by Kate Elfatah

The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is once again dedicated to Arab cinema and announces that it will provide more funds and artistic representation for producers in its 45th edition from November 13th to 22nd. CIFF this year is not only presenting more Arab films, it’s also dramatically broadening the channels through which filmmakers can find attention and support.

As a powerful solidarity gesture, CIFF is introducing “Horizons of Arab Cinema Awards” where $25,000 in prize money will be distributed across five categories — Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. This welcome news acknowledges the emerging global reach and craft of Arab filmmakers.

“We’re eager to provide enough space to accommodate every piece of filmmaking and creativity in the Arab World,” says CIFF President Hussein Fahmy. He stresses the festival’s focus on Arab film across all genres and in initiatives such as the Cairo Film Connection, which has supported dozens of projects over the years. Fahmy lauds the “good movies” and “big developments in cinema-related technologies” propelling the Arab cinema revival that is unfolding today.

CIFF Director Essam Zakaria describes the festival’s commitment to capturing “high geographical variety in Arab Cinema Production”. All Arab films in the festival this year, both in the International Competition and the International Critics Week Competition, are eligible for the Horizons of Arab Cinema Awards. This broad definition guarantees a “just opportunity of submission and voting” for every Arab filmmaker.

Such commitment to Arab cinema is further illustrated by the Cairo Film Connection (CFC), now in its 10th year. The CFC announced a plethora of 18 post-production and development projects from 10 Arab countries. It offers critical support, guidance, and networking to young and seasoned filmmakers in the Arab world.

With its greater dedication to Arab cinema, diverse programming, and the revolutionary new Horizons of Arab Cinema Awards, the 45th Cairo International Film Festival promises to be a landmark event. IEM will be there bringing you all the movies, panels, and parties.

Learn more about Cairo International Film Festival HERE.

Film Mode Entertainment and Sparke Films Announce the AFM Market Premiere Screening, a Full House of Distribution News and Audience Choice Awards for Horror Film, SCURRY Starring Jamie Costa (Kenobi: A Star Wars Story, Bring Him To Me) and Emalia (Paper Dolls)

Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment and Luke Sparke’s Sparke Films announce the AFM market premiere screening and a full house of sales and distribution news with multiple awards for the horror film, Scurry. The movie stars Jamie Costa (Kenobi: A Star Wars Story, Bring Him To Me) and Emalia (Paramount+ Paper Dolls). Scurry was written by Tom Evans (Bring Him To Me), directed by Luke Sparke (Occupation, Occupation Rainfall), and has recently been completed and made its world festival premieres in Australia to high acclaim. 

“We’re thrilled to further our relationship with one of the most talented and prolific filmmakers working today.  Luke is a visionary who brings films to the marketplace that audiences all around the world crave, and Scurry is scaring up new fans every day.” Said Epstein

Scurry Scores Big Sales

In addition to Australia and New Zealand, which was picked up by Umbrella Entertainment, sales for Scurry include Dimension Pictures (India), Eagle Films (Middle East), Media4Fun (Poland), Pioneer Films (Philippines), Signature Entertainment (United Kingdom), and Splendid Film (Benelux, Germany). Film Mode Entertainment is fielding multiple offers from remaining territories.

“It’s been fantastic to see the early response from festival audiences who have gotten a sneak peek at this unique film. It’s a tightly wound film that we are excited to screen to further buyers and bring it to wide audiences as soon as we can.” Said producers Carly Sparke and Carmel Imrie.

Scurry's AFM market premiere screening took place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. at the Brenden Theater 12. Additional screenings TBA and by appointment with Film Mode.

In Scurry, the city is under attack by a monstrous threat. Two strangers find themselves trapped below ground during the chaos. Badly injured and with limited resources, they must navigate a treacherous, narrowing tunnel in hopes of finding an exit before they bleed out. Fear and desperation consume them as the threat closes in and they soon discover they have more to fear than each other.

Scurry: The Audience’s Choice - What People Are Saying

Scurry made its festival world premiere in September at the 2024 Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival and won the Audience Choice. “The Closing Night World Premiere of Luke Sparke's Scurry has proven the festival's ultimate crowd pleaser, with the dramatic thriller taking [the] 2024 Ion Sci-Fi Audience Award,” said festival directors. It was also an official selection at Monster Fest in October. 

FilmInk called the film “fun” adding it was a “creature feature with suspenseful moments and…nice, dark twists to keep audiences engaged.” 

Scurry was shot in Queensland, Australia at the Sparke Films studio on the Gold Coast, in ‘real-time’.

Coming off of the global success of the Occupation Rainfall franchise and Sparke’s new feature film Bring Him To Me along with a multi-picture deal between Film Mode and Sparke Films, Scurry is set to thrill to the international marketplace and gl

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Grotesque? Yes. Burlesque: Yes. Statuesque? Yes. Humouresque: No. Maze: Yes. Amazing: No

Bhool Bhulaiya literally means a maze or labyrinth, in Hindustani language. This one refers to the Adventures of a Fake Ghostbuster and his Pygmy Partner, who collapses at the slightest sign of danger. They are as fake as the royal family they are summoned to, to perform the task of busting the ghost of a princess, who was imprisoned in a large room, with heavy padlocks, 200 years ago. But before we move on to discuss the merits and de-merits of this Anees Bazmee genre film, made by Anees Bazmee himself, it would be nice if you erased your soft disc (brain, in other words) of the memory of BB1 and BB2. It is not a trilogy. Only the song, ‘Aamee jey tomaar’, the two sisters and one ghost, reverberate here. The rest is a mayhem of good writing and creative direction, though the performers make merry of the script by acting as dumb as the scene demands. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is best seen with disbelief suspended in air, literally; a lot of persons in this suddenly get elevated. One is dropped off a mountain. Kartik Aryan and Anees Bazmee will get their money’s worth. Others might need to be treated with holy water, like Gangajal (water of the river Ganges-Ganga) or a bottle of holy oil, purified by a Maha-Pandit (High Priest) immediately after making their way to the sign marks ‘exit’.

Impressed with his Fake YouTube video, a bunch of Miserly, Niggardly, Parsimonious, Penurious and Bankrupt bunch of ‘royals’, who are in a real bad shape, in 2024, invite the Ghostbuster, called Rooh Baba (rooh is soul or spirit in Hindustani) to release and terminate, or exterminate, the ghost of their ancestor, Manjulika, who, according to a 1824 legend, was murdered, in a case of “Who will inherit the throne?” And the answer going, “The king’s only son, Debendra, of course.” And never mind if the son was not borne by the Queen, but was given birth by a member of his royal harem, just because of she is a girl (named Manjulika), his real son, borne of the Queen. Remember, is 1824, so women’s liberation movements are to begin at least a 100 years later. But Manjulika’s ghost haunted them, seeking revenge. Somehow, the inhabitants of the palace managed to capture it and push it into a large room, with several huge primitive locking contraptions bolting her in. Lock, stock and barrel. That is enough to keep her at bay. But the royals now want to sell that palace and pay their huge debts, plus regain some of their stature, so they want to open that door and get rid of the ghost once and for all.

Manjulika also had a sister named Anjulika, says the High Priest, after doing some research in a library, who seems to be the same holy man who seconded the order to execute Manjulika 200 years ago. What if she is also a ghost, was murdered, like Manjulika, and she too wants revenge? Don’t worry, Bhoot Baba is here to sort things out. The evil spirit is to be exorcised before, or latest by, the Durga Ashtami, the 8th day in the nine holy-days before Diwali. With crucial and critical help from his side-kick, he usually plays magical tricks, tampering with the electric supply in the palace, and finds the princess falling for him, and he decides to take on the Manjulika Ghost Challenge, with Rs. 1 crore (10 million) as the booty. To look after him and serve him during his stay, there are three characters who seem to have walked out of an early Agha Hashr Kashmiri (the doyen among playwrights of his time and the director of a few silent films as well) just out of an early 20th century stage play

Tiina Lokk, the founder and artistic director of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), announces that the 2024 Dennis Davidson Spotlight Award will be presented to Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher at the Closing Ceremony on Saturday, November 23rd. British-Palestinian director Nabulsi and British producer Sawsan Asfari will be on hand for the award presentation.

The Teacher premiered at TIFF 2023, and is the feature film debut by Farah Nabulsi, the British- Palestinian filmmaker. Following her Oscar-winning short, The Present, The Teacher is a powerful and urgent new film about day-to-day life in the occupied West Bank. The film takes audiences on an intense, emotional journey into the lives and experiences of those living in occupied and colonised Palestine, and lifts the curtain on the hardships and difficult choices they have to make. Inspired by a real incident and set in 2014, The Teacher is a shattering work that feels as current as today’s headlines, and a drama made more devastating by Saleh Bakri’s soulful performance.

The award is PÖFF's tribute to Dennis Davidson, founder of DDA, the global communications and marketing agency. For a long time, DDA has believed in the importance of film festivals recognising and putting emerging talent on the map. The award recognises artists whose recent work has contributed to improving diversity, inclusion and representation in the cinematic arts.

“Dennis has been a valued friend and steadfast supporter of our festival for many years, and I am honoured that we can uphold this distinguished award in his name,” said Tiina Lokk, the founder and the director of the festival.

In making the announcement, Davidson noted that Nabulsi’s The Teacher has received excellent reviews, including the following:

“…. Nabulsi hits the dramatic beats with confidence and Bakri [lead actor] has distinction; his sensitivity and intelligence command every scene” – Peter Bradshaw/ The Guardian

“….the film conveys the brutal misjustices and traumas endured by generations of Palestinian citizens, and Bakri [lead actor] is compelling” - Tom Dawson/ Total Film

“British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s powerful and urgent new film is of the highest order” – George Savvides/ Parikiaki


The Dennis Davidson Spotlight Award was presented to Zone of Interest and Poor Things in 2023 and to Women Talking and Holy Spider in 2022. The Dennis Davidson Spotlight Award 2024 will be presented at the PÖFF Closing Ceremony on 23 November. Farah Nabulsi and British producer Sawsan Asfari will be on hand to receive the award. The Closing Ceremony starts at 19:00 at the Alexela Concert Hall in Tallinn. The ceremony will be streamed online at poff.elisastage.ee.


The 28th edition of PÖFF l will take place from the 8th until the 24th of November, while the festival’s industry platform Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event will run from 14th until the 22nd of November. 
The opening ceremony take place on the 8th of November at Alexela Concert Hall. The festival opening film is Long Story Short, directed by David Dietl. 

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival with Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event and with the two sub-festivals, Just Film and PÖFF Shorts, has grown into one of th

The 28th Ji.hlava IDFF wrapped with awards. The Best Czech Documentary Film is The Impossibility directed by Tomáš Hlaváček and the Best World Documentary Award went to Ms. President by Marek Šulík. The Award for Best Debut this year went to the film Grey Zone by Daniela Meressa Rusnoková. The audience appreciated Dajori by Martin Páv and Nicolas Kourek. For his Contribution to World Cinema, the leading figure of Taiwan's New Wave, Tsai Ming-liang, was honored. Ji.hlava continues online until November 17.

Tomorrow evening, Ji.hlava Online kicks off. It will run until November 17 and will offer over 150 films from this year's live festival program. All films will be available for viewing only within the Czech Republic.

Opus Bonum: Ms. President

Opus Bonum, a section showcasing contemporary world documentary production, included 13 film titles.

Out of them, the three-member jury selected Ms. President by Slovak director Marek Šulík as the winner of the competition section. “A fascinating and absorbing character study of Zuzana Čaputová's five years as Slovak President addressing the ethical and political shifts in Slovak society during this time. Ms. President presents a personalized and intimate portrait with a particular focus on gender and familial dynamics along with her political undoing by opposition populist leader, Prime Minister Robert Fico. The film gives the viewer a profound sense of the challenges facing women in politics today,” says the statement of the jury composed of Australian philosopher Robert Sinnerbrink, acclaimed Chinese director Xiaoshuai Wang, and Czech filmmaker and composer Eliška Cílková. The creators of the winning film will receive a financial prize of 10,000 USD.

As part of Opus Bonum section, the jury this year also awarded a prize to the best film from the Central and Eastern European region. The award went to Czech film Happiness to All by Filip Remunda. “A powerful and unsettling observational character study of a disaffected, marginalised individual, which explores the social context in which Putin's nationalist populism has taken root. Happiness to All is a challenging and insightful work that sheds light on the disturbing side of contemporary Central European politics,” said the jury in its statement. The creators of the winning film from Central and Eastern Europe will receive a financial award of 5,000 USD.

The Best Editing Award was given to Goodbye directed by Toia Bonino. “The Goodbye unfolds a complex and revealing examination of family history focusing on Toia Bonino’s discovery of her grandfather's links to fascism as an aide to Benito Mussolini. The film shifts to an intuitive and reflective exploration of gender relations and the intertwining of familial, cultural, and political history. Many layers of editing and complex narration are edited masterfully together here in ways that remain open and thought-provoking,” appreciated the jury.

The Award for the Best Cinematography went to In Praise of Shadows by Canadian filmmaker Catherine Martin. “A mesmerising visual meditation on s