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This year NETPAC was invited to establish a jury at the Cairo International Film Festival, a FIAPF A list festival which was established in 1976, making it the oldest film festival in Africa and the Arab region. 

After its cancellation last year due to the political events in the region, this very large festival returned in full force in 2024, wearing the politics of the region on its sleeve.  It opened with a road movie, the world premiere of Passing Dreams, shot in 2023 prior to 7 October, from veteran Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi (Laila's Birthday, 2008). Theming for the night included a brooch featuring a Palestinian flag for each guest on arrival and a Palestinian dance troupe.

An emphasis on Palestine and Lebanon continued throughout the festival across most programme sections and awards, with Best Arab Film Award, Palestinian Film Award, the Gaza Jury, and with films also included in other awards such as the International Critics Week Competition and the Netpac Award for Best Asian Film. 

The NETPAC jury Anne Démy-Geroe (chair), Raman Chawla, and Salma Mubarek

In spite of this strong focus, “diversity” is perhaps the most apt descriptor for the large and rich programme. Geographically the “International Competition” covered territory from France (e.g. Julie Delpy’s Meet the Barbarians) through Bangladesh (Dear Maloti), and Japan (Yoshida Kota’s Snowdrop), ending in Australia with Academy Award winning animator Adam Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail. The seven member jury, presided over by Bosnian Academy Award winning director Danis Tanovic, included four women. This programme strand was complemented by the eclectic “Official Selection Out of Competition”, screening first features alongside the most recent films from veterans such as Mati Diop, Walter Salles and Robert Zemeckis.

There were many shorts programmes, offering an opportunity for regional filmmaking.

The NETPAC jury comprised Raman Chawla, who negotiated the establishment of the jury, Anne Démy- Geroe (chair) and Salma Mubarek, Professor of Comparative Literature and Literature and Arts at Cairo University, who added a valuable local perspective. The seven films for consideration by the NETPAC jury were again diverse (am I overusing that word?), embracing political thrillers, a comedy, and social issues films. Four of the seven titles were from Mena countries. Along with the Lebanese film Arze and Holidays in Palestine were the Turkish film Ayse (Necmi Sancak) and the Saudi Arabian Holes (Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan). 

Still from the Psychological thriller film Holes (Saudi Arabia Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan).

From further East in Asia were the Bangladeshi film Dear Maloti by Shankha Dasgupta, Pierce from Nelicia Low (Singapore, Taiwan, Poland, Best Director Award, Karlovy Vary) and Brief History of a Family, a Chinese -French coproduction by Jianjie LIN. All of these first or second features were strong and interesting viewing. Again “diverse” in form and content; again with a pleasing representation of women through directors and strong female leads. 

Our choice for the NETPAC Award was Brief History of a Family by Jianjie LIN. While no discovery, (it had its premiere in World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance, followed by an outing in the Berlinale Panorama) the gripping film was outstanding in terms of its complex ambiguous script, amazing camerawork and its general execution. 

Poster of the NETPAC Award film- Brief History of a Family by Jianjie LIN

One of the most exciting parts of the festival for me was “Cairo Classics”, a programme of 26 restored films, of which fourteen were Egyptian classics, including Naguib Mafouz adaptations, an early Omar Sharif, and directors such as Salah Abu Seif and Hassan El Imam. These were complemented with classic Western representations of the region, Mankiewicz’s Cleopatra, Akkad’s Lion of the Desert and Powell’s The Thief of Bagdad. Attendances were notably high at these sessions. When I mentioned my own excitement about this element of the programme to Festival President and well-known actor. Hussein Fahmy on closing night, he commented that future festivals would continue with this programme strand.

NETPAC chairperson Anne Démy-Geroe with the NETPAC award winner director Jianjie LIN

A notable element of the festival, mentioned in part already, was the high representation of women. Of course many glamorous actresses trod the red carpet, but there were high percentages of female jurors and filmmakers whose presence was felt in the awards.

The Cairo Industry Days, run over six days, “provides a platform for Arab filmmakers to connect with global professionals, nurturing emerging talent to develop their cinematic voice”. This was an enormous and impressive programme, with panels, masterclasses and workshops, some up to five days in duration. Targeted at various sections and experience levels of the industry, it saw hundreds of guests from technical specialists through industry heavyweights to Jim Sheridan. Its extent is impossible to convey in just a few words. Eighteen Mena projects pitched for either development or post-production funding in the Cairo Film Connection section.On my last visit to Cairo IFF more than two decades ago I was awestruck when I stepped into an elevator with Shashi Kapoor and shy dining with Vanessa Redgrave. I was challenged by a veteran Egyptian actress to be more glamorous. This year seemed more a balance between veterans and youth, with an emphasis on dialogue and networking and the business of making films. The public spaces of the official hotel were full from morning to evening with industry figures socialising, meeting, and discussing ventures. The Cairo International Film Festival is obviously a major player in the Egyptian film industry and one NETPAC can be proud to work with.

45^th Cairo International Film Festival NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film : Brief History of a Family LIN Jianjie (China/France/Denmark/Qatar) 

Citation

Through its subtle yet striking exploration of family dynamics and unspoken desires, this film transforms a seemingly ordinary narrative into a profound meditation on connection, identity, and the impact of societal expectations. With its visually arresting and emotionally resonant storytelling, the film lingers long after the credits roll.

Synopsis

In this thriller set in post one-child policy China, a middle-class family takes in their only son's mysterious new friend. This triggers buried family tensions as secrets and feelings surface, testing the bonds and expectations holding the family together.

Written by Dr Anne Démy- Geroe Chairperson of  the NETPAC Jury and Joint President of NETPAC