CAIRO – The U.S. Embassy in Cairo is pleased to partner with Los Angeles-based Film Independent to support the 25th edition of the Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, the oldest documentary and short film festival in the Middle East and Africa established in 1991. The festival celebrates cinema as a medium to promote cross-cultural dialogue and showcases the best of Egyptian and international production in documentary and short films.
“Documentaries and short films are vibrant canvases where diverse narratives unfold,” U.S. Embassy Assistant Cultural Attaché Inga Litvinsky said. “The United States is proud to support Ismailia International Film Festival and its mission to promote cross-cultural dialogue and people-to-people ties. The festival is a bridge to connect the United States and Egypt through fostering understanding and celebrating the richness of our collective experience.”
This year’s festival also honors American film director and producer Steve James, whose documentary Hoop Dreams was nominated for an Academy Award in 1994 and ranked the best documentary of all time in an International Documentary Association poll in 2007. James is receiving a lifetime achievement award at the festival on February 28 and will host a master class series in Cairo on March 6.
As part of the festival, the U.S. Embassy and Film Independent are also presenting a short film documentary workshop led by Sisa Bueno, a film and multimedia maker dedicated to exploring powerful ripple effects within humanity while making seemingly inaccessible stories more accessible to audiences. Sisa most recently received the Film Independent Documentary Lab Fellowship for her current work in progress, For Venida, For Kalief.
Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts takes place February 28 to March 5. More information is available at ismailiafilmfest.com. To learn more about the arts and cultural partnership between the United States and Egypt, visit eg.usembassy.gov. Follow @USEmbassyCairo on Facebook, X, and Instagram for more information about events and programs at the U.S. Embassy.
