Egypt celebrates African film industry at Luxor

March 20, 2018 in Communications, Travel & Tourism by Editor

March 20, 2018—The 7^th edition of the Luxor African Film festival (LAFF) is taking place to once again celebrate the best and the singularity of the African movie industry.

This annual event is organised by Independent Shabab Foundation under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture,Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the tourist city of Luxor in southern Egypt.

Luxor has frequently been characterized as the “world’s greatest open-air museum”, as the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city.

During the six days of the festival, numerous activities take place including screenings of long and short films produced in African countries, made by African filmmakers, concerning African subjects and all must be 2017 production. It also includes; workshops, seminars and open discussions that create a platform for individuals in the industry to exchange knowledge and inspirations.

One of Uganda’s own productions, Punishment Island by Laura Cini and produced by Ombre Elettriche (Italy/ Uganda production) has been nominated in the Freedom and Human Rights International category.

Four categories of nominations were considered for the festival competition and that includes long narratives and documentaries, short films and productions classified under Freedom and Human Rights International category.

Punishment Island is about 56 minute longs and focuses on South Western Uganda where women who broke the taboo of premarital sex were abandoned on a tiny island called Punishment Island (locally called Akampene) to die. The story unravels the unwritten story life of the last survivors and what they did to survive that torturous life.

This festival not only merges Africa as one in this industry, but also opens up Egypt for other African countries to experience its cultures, music, history and food. It is proof that Africa is an interlocked continent and the African film industry is rapidly evolving.

This year’s festival is dedicated to a great critic Samir Farid and recognises Rwandan cinema that has developed and grown considerably fast in the last 10 years with the emergence of a young generation of filmmakers. Egypt has taken a prominent lead in recognising and promoting African films produced by Africans telling African stories as a way of making the world understand African roots, cultures, food and social challenges.