The 12th Damascus International Film Festival opened Saturday with a screening of a work that won the Cannes Film Festival's Golden Palm award, the Italian film The Son’s Room, according to news agencies.
The festival, in which 33 countries are participating, secured entries from the US for the first time this year.
The film Momento has come in at the top of the list of the 20 American films participating in the festival.
The film, scripted and directed by Christopher Nolan and based on a short story by American writer Jonathan Nolan, was produced in 2000.
Egypt’s significant participation in the festival was made clear by its 16 films and a large delegation of actors, critics, writers, and screenwriters. These included Yousef Shaaban, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Naglaa Fathi, Nabila Ebaid, festival jury member, Laila Ulwi, Ezzat Al Alaili, Pusy, Elham Shahin and director Radhwan Al Kashef.
Some 35 films from 17 Arab and foreign countries are participating in the official contest of the festival, including entries from the US, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Britain, Hungary, Chile, India, France, China, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and Syria.
The international jury is headed by Austrian director and fine artist Peter Pantsack and includes Greek director Lonos Kondros, German director Raniar Simon (winner of Berlin Festival Golden Bear Award), Argentinean director Christine Vasolino and Belgian Mons Festival head Ander Hectozick. Other jury members also include Nabila Ebaid from Egypt, Fatma Khair from Morocco, and Syrian fine artist Ahmed Mualla and his compatriot Raghda.
The festival includes a short film contest with an independent jury. Nearly 30 films will compete in this contest, which will also include Arab and foreign artistic and cultural events. These films hail from Japan, the US, Italy, Egypt and Morocco. Other events will witness the screening of 20 other films which have participated in international festivals and won appreciation awards.
During the festival, 25 books will be issued by the General Cinema Corp. depicting the dramatic problems and the history of international cinema and its development.
The festival will honor a number of Arab and foreign critics and artists including Abdel Mohyi Adeeb from Egypt, Suhail Arafah and Samar Sami from Syria, and jury head Peter Patsack from Austria.
At the concluding ceremony, three golden, silver and bronze prizes will be handed out, in addition to a special prize to be awarded to the best Arabic film screened at the festival – Albawaba.com
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