At this year’s Cairo Intl. Film Festival, Egyptian filmmakers arrive not just to premiere their films, but to stake a claim in the country’s cinematic future. Once the beating heart of Arab cinema, Egypt’s industry is no longer defined by its commercial past or nostalgic golden age. Instead, it’s being reimagined by a generation that views filmmaking not as revival, but reclamation. Across the festival’s lineup and its Cairo Film Connection pitching platform, directors are crafting a cinema that is at once personal, political, and daring.

“I think my work is a mix of continuation and reinvention,” says documentarian Yomna Khattab, who brings her deeply personal project “I Have Other Friends” to Cairo Film Connection. “I’m inspired by the greats — Chahine, Khan, Khairy Beshara. Such a le

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