On Diasporas and Farid Shawqi: Luxor African Film Festival's 9th Edition

Causing attendees and cinephiles to swoon for the 9th year, the 2020 Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF) is set to be held from the 6th to the 12th of March with an opening ceremony on the graceful grounds of the Karnak Temple.

This year’s festival pays tribute to legendary actor, producer, and author Farid Shawqi to celebrate his centenary birthday by dubbing its 9th edition after his name, as well as a dedication to late artists and filmmakers such as Samir Seif, Osama Fawzi, and Aqila Ratib. The festival is also publishing a book about Farid Shawqi’s significance as an artist to Egyptian cinema.

International superstar Jimmy Jean-Louis will be attending as a guest of honour. The festival will also host a new competition this year under the name of ‘African Diaspora’ to accommodate for African filmmakers from beyond the continent. 

A substantial cultural pillar extending from Luxor to the entirety of Africa, LAFF embeds its roots in the community’s core by offering art education workshops for Luxor’s local youth on various topics like filmmaking, screenwriting, cinematography, ballet, and drawing, while also making up for the lack of cinema theatres in Upper Egypt by screening the latest commercial films of the past year.