Screenings include a 10-part shorts omnibus based on January 25 revolution.

Cannes has added a special tribute to Egypt to this year’s festival, complementing the official selection.

This is the first year that Cannes will start welcoming a guest country to the festival. Egypt was chosen for its strong history in film as well as this year’s pro-democracy demonstrations.

On the day, May 18, the late late Youssef Chahine will be remembered and directors, actors, producers and technicians will gather. There will also be a concert by West El Bala.

The programme will include a screening of 18 jours, a group of 10 short films based on the January 25 revolution. The stories are directed by Sherif Arafa, Yousry Nasrallah, Mariam Abou Ouf, Marwan Hamed [pictured], Mohamed Aly, Kamla Abou Zikri, Sherif El Bendari, Khaled Marei, Ahmad Abdallah and Ahmad Alaa. All profits from the film will benefit Egyptian villages.

An official dinner will follow, with guests to include the Egyptian Culture Minister and the Egyptian ambassador to France.

Also, as part of Cannes Classics, the festival will screen a new copy of Facteur (Al Bostagui) by Hussein Kamal (Egypt, 1968) and there will be a Cinema de la Plage screening of of Le Cri d’une fourmi by Sameh Abdel Aziz (Egypt, 2011).

Cannes has also added two special screenings:

Plus jamais peur by Mourad Ben Cheikh (Tunisia), a documentary about the Tunisian revolution.

The Big Fix by Josh Tickell (US), a documentary produced by Peter Fonda.

And the festival will present two school screenings for secondary pupils:

Free Men (Les Hommes libres) by Ismäel Ferrouki (Morocco/France)

Prodigies by Antoine Charreyron

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