Aswan International Women's Film Festival
 | |
| Location | Aswan, Egypt |
|---|---|
| Established | 2017 |
| Founded by | |
| Festival date | February |
| Language | International |
| Website | aiwff |
Aswan International Women's Film Festival (AIWFF) was founded in 2017 by Egyptian screenwriter Mohamed Abdel Khalek. It is the first annual Egyptian film festival focused on women's issues and filmmakers, with an emphasis on Egypt and the broader MENA region. It is also the first international festival held in Upper Egypt.[1]
History
[edit]The festival, established in 2017 by Mohamed Abdel Khalek, is one of Egypt's premier film events.[2] It is held under the patronage of the Egyptian ministries of Culture, Tourism, and Social Solidarity, and in association with the National Council for Women, the Aswan Governorate, and Aswan University, among others.[3]
Abdel-Khalek described the festival as having four pillars: a showcase for films that address women's issues; a forum for women's issues convening activists from around the world; workshops for young filmmaking trainees; and a networking event for film producers.[4]
The festival attracts a national and international audience of celebrities and politicians such as Nelly Karim,[5] Yosra El Lozy, Madeleine Tabar, Randa El Behery, Danny Glover, Barbara Bouchet, and Victoria Abril.[6][7]
Every edition honors a prominent woman. These have included: Djamila Bouhired, an Algerian militant nationalist who fought against French colonial rule, at the 2nd edition in 2018;[8] Mohsena Tawfik, a veteran actress of Egyptian film and television, at the 3rd edition in 2019; [7][9] French actress and director Marilyne Canto at the 6th edition in 2022; [10] and Syrian actress Kinda Alloush at the 9th edition in 2025.[11]
As of 2020, over 250 students, of which the majority were girls, have been trained at festival workshops. [12] [2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Streets, Egyptian (2019-11-18). "Aswan International Women Film Festival to Focus on Egyptian Women in Politics | Egyptian Streets". Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ a b Sherif Khairy. "Everything You Need to Know About Aswan International Women Film Festival". CAIRO360. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ "Aswan International Women Film Festival to Honor Kinda Alloush". EgyptToday. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ "Egypt's Aswan women film gala new platform for advocating women's causes - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ "Int'l women film gala kicks off in Egypt's Aswan with over 30 participating states - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ Essam, Angy (February 8, 2019). "Barbara Bouchet the guest of honor of AIWFF". Egypt Today. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ a b Mustafa, Marie (February 20, 2019). "AIWFF to kick off Feb. 20". Egypt Today. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ سمير عمر (22 February 2018). "جميلة بوحيرد "نجمة" مهرجان أسوان لسينما المرأة". Sky News Arabia (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ Correspondent, Ramadan Al Sherbini (2019-05-07). "Veteran Egypt actress Mohsena Tawfik dies at 79". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Aswan International Women Film Festival to honor veteran French actress Marilyne Canto". EgyptToday. 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ "Aswan International Women Film Festival to Honor Kinda Alloush". EgyptToday. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ "Closure of Cinematic Training Workshops - Aswan International Women Film Festival". EU Neighbours. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
