Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films

With the aim to discover the Arab world, EFP (European Film Promotion) is partnering with the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) by launching the Arab Critics' Award for European Films dedicated to European cinema. A jury of 42 of the most prominent and influential film critics from 13 Arab countries, recommended by the ACC, selects the best European film which are nominated by the European national film institutes – EFP's member organisations. The Cairo International Film Festival is EFP's partner in 2019 where the winner will be announced during an Award Ceremony in November.

Qualifying films need to be from 2019 and have to have screened at major international film festivals. Current national Oscar entries may also take part in the run-up to the the award.
The Arab critics will screen the films at Festival Scope Pro's private screening room for a short list of three films. The lucky winner will then be chosen following a second round.

List of film critics participating in the Arab Critics' Awards for European Films (in alphabetical order):

Abdelkarim Ouakrim (Morocco), Abdelkrim Kadri (Algeria), Abdul Sattar Naji (Kuwait), Ahmed Shawky (Egypt), Ali Wajeeh (Syria), Amal Gamal (Egypt), Andrew Mohsen (Egypt), Erfan Rashid (Iraq, Italy), Essam Zakaria (Egypt), Hammadi Gueroum (Morocco), Hassan Haddad (Bahrain), Hauvick Habéchian (Lebanon), Houda Ibrahim (Lebanon), Husam Asi (Palestine, UK), Ibrahim Haj Abdi (Syria), Ikbal Zalila (Tunisia), Kadhum Saloom (Iraq), Kais Kassem (Iraq, Sweden), Khaled Mahmoud (Egypt), Khalid Ali (Sudan/UK), Khalil Demmoun (Morocco), Lamia Guiga (Tunisia), Magda Khirallah (Egypt), Mahdi Abbas (Iraq), Mohamed Atef (Egypt), Mohamed Benaziz (Morocco), Mohammed Chouika (Morocco), Mohammed Rouda (Lebanon, UK), Nabil Hadji (Algeria), Nada Azhari (Syria), Nadim Jarjoura (Lebanon), Nageh Hassan (Jordan), Ola Kamel Al-Sheikh (Palestine, UAE), Ola Shafey (Egypt), Ossama Abdel Fattah (Egypt), Rachid Naim (Morocco), Rasha Hosny (Egypt), Safaa Elaisy (Egypt), Safaa Jibara Al-saleh (Iraq, UK), Tarek Ben Chaabane (Tunisia), Tarek El Shinnawi (Egypt), Ziad Khuzai (Iraq).

Arab Cinema Center

Organized by MAD Solutions, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is now celebrating the fifth year since its inception in 2015. A non-profit organization registered in Amsterdam, the ACC is an international promotional platform for Arab cinema as it provides the filmmaking industry with a professional window to connect with their counterparts from all over the world through a number of its organised events. The ACC also provides networking opportunities with repre-sentatives of companies and institutions specialized in co-production and international distribution, among others.

Cairo International Film Festival

The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is one of only 15 Festivals accorded as a category "A" status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations FIAPF. It is the oldest and only internationally accredited cultural feature film festival in the Arab World, Africa and the Middle East.

The history of CIFF goes back to 1975, after a visit to the Berlin Film Festival the late writer-critic Kamal El Mallakh and a group of like-minded cinema critics wondered why such a world-class festival couldn't take place in Egypt. The country was still riding the crest of Egyptian cinema's golden age and contained a formidable film industry, still the biggest in the Arab world. The Cairo International Film Festival was launched in 1976.