CIFF 2024 – Synopsis of films in international feature film competition

Scheduled for November 13 to 22, 2024, this edition will highlight works from the four corners of the world, offering Egyptian spectators the opportunity to discover films rarely screened in local theaters. Hussein Fahmy recalled that the role of the CIFF is to encourage cultural diversity, by creating bridges between cultures and by making new works accessible to the Egyptian public, testifying to the world’s cinematographic wealth.

The jury of the International Competition, chaired by Bosnian director and screenwriter Danis Tanović, brings together influential figures from the film industry, with the Egyptian Ahmed Hafez (editor), the Italian Andrea Pallaoro (director), the Spanish Angela Molina (actress), the Thai Anucha Suwichakornpong (director), the French Sylvie Pialat (producer and screenwriter) and the Tunisian Aïcha Ben Ahmed (actress).

For Aïcha Ben Ahmed, being a member of this jury is a mark of recognition of her talent and her growing influence. Known for her elegance and subtle play, she asserts herself as an ambassador of Tunisian culture internationally. Her presence on this jury, after a first participation in 2019 in the jury of the Horizons du cinema Arab competition, confirms the place of this actress in the Arab and world cinematographic landscape.

Among the films in international competition for this 45th edition of the CIFF, 4 O’clock Flowersthe first fiction feature film by Tunisian Khadija Lemkecher, attracts particular attention. With this film, Khadija Lemkecher, already noted for her short films dealing with social themes, makes her debut in long format, exploring questions of immigration and youthful dreams. Its selection testifies to the rise of Tunisian cinema on the international scene and allows the Egyptian public to discover this promising work from the Maghreb.

The list of films in competition in the International Competition of this 45th edition of the CIFF:

• Ayse, directed by Nejmi Senjak (Türkiye | Fiction | 2024 | 76 min)

Synopsis: Ayse, 47, lives with her brother Ridvan, 38, who has Down syndrome. When she receives a marriage proposal from a trucker who stops at the gas station where she works, she finds herself faced with a choice between her destiny and her dreams.

• Blue Sun Palace, directed by Constance Tsang (United States | Fiction | 2024 | 116 min)

Synopsis: Thousands of miles from home, Amy and Didi navigate romance, happiness and family responsibilities in a massage parlor in New York. Their almost indestructible brotherly bond is put to the test during the Lunar New Year.

• Dear Maloti (World Premiere), directed by Shankha Das Gupta (Bangladesh | Fiction | 2024 | 106 min)

Synopsis: After the death of her husband in a fire, Maloti, a pregnant woman from Dhaka, Bangladesh, finds herself caught in a bureaucratic labyrinth that calls into question her values, her faith, and jeopardizes the future of her child. to be born.

• January 2directed by Szofia Szilagyi (Hungary | Fiction | 2024 | 86 min)

Synopsis: Klara leaves her husband with the help of her friend Agi. They take seven car trips together, taking the same round-trip route each time, but each trip is unique.

• Feeling sickdirected by Fabrice Du Welz (Belgium, France | Fiction | 2024 | 155 min)

Synopsis: When two young girls disappear, Paul Chartier, a fiery police officer, joins the mysterious “Maldoror” unit, created to monitor a dangerous sex offender. After the failure of the operation, Paul embarks on a personal hunt.

• Embarrasseddirected by Pedro Freire (Brazil | Fiction | 2024 | 101 min)

Synopsis: In 1997, Malu, a 50-year-old unemployed actress, lives with her conservative mother in a dilapidated house in Rio de Janeiro. She tries to reconnect with her adult daughter while remembering her glorious past.

• Meet The Barbariansdirected by Julie Delpy (France | Fiction | 2024 | 101 min)

Synopsis: A village in Brittany accepts Ukrainian refugees in exchange for subsidies, but ultimately it is Syrian migrants who arrive, triggering tensions. The Fayad family defies stereotypes, leaving the question hanging: who are the real “barbarians”?

• Memoir of a Snail (International Premiere), directed by Adam Elliot (Australia | Fiction | 2024 | 95 min)

Synopsis: In Australia in the 1970s, the destinies of Gilbert and Grace intertwine and separate, each living with a new family. Hardships seem to overwhelm them until the arrival of an eccentric old lady, Pinky.

• 4 O’clock Flowers (International premiere), directed by Khadija Lemkecher (Tunisia | Fiction | 2024 | 103 min)

Synopsis: Djow, owner of a boxing gym in a popular district of Tunis, is looking for a champion and discovers Yahya, a young talent. But Yahya dreams of a future elsewhere, considering illegal immigration. How will his destiny play out?

• Passing Dreamsdirected by Rashid Masharawi (Palestine, Sweden, France | Fiction | 2024 | 85 min) _ Opening film.
• Synopsis: Sami, a 12-year-old boy, follows a carrier pigeon through Palestine, convinced that it will be reunited with its original owner. Along the way, he meets other Palestinians and shares their stories.

• Postmarks, directed by Natalia Nazarova (Russia | Fiction | 2024 | 103 min)

Synopsis: Yana, a postal worker, awaits the return of her sailor father. Although discreet, she is marked by slight cerebral palsy, which adds to her charm. The arrival of the sailor Piotr turns his life upside down.

• Snowdrop (International Premiere), directed by Yoshida Kota (Japan | Fiction | 2024 | 98 min)

Synopsis: Naoko Hanami lives with her mother until the unexpected return of her father, who has been missing for years. As they try to reconnect, the family’s future is uncertain.

• Spring Came On Laughingdirected by Noha Adel (Egypt | Fiction | 2024 | 100 min)

Synopsis: During a tumultuous spring, four stories of love, anger and hidden secrets unfold. But with the end of the flower season, an unexpected autumn brings these stories to a close.

• Moondove (World premiere) directed by Karim Kassem (Lebanon | Docu-drama | 2024 | 120 min)

Synopsis: As the harvest season begins, an extreme drought plunges a village into crisis. An annual play, entitled “Les Partants”, is organized for the occasion.

• The New Year That Never Camedirected by Bogdan Muresanu (Romania | Fiction | 2024 | 138 min)

Synopsis: On December 20, 1989, while Ceausescu’s regime was faltering, six people in Bucharest found themselves caught in the heart of the political storm without being aware of it.

• Victorydirected by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kaufman (Italy | Fiction | 2024 | 83 min)

Synopsis: Based on a true story with non-professional actors, the film follows Yasmin, a woman haunted by the desire to adopt a daughter after the death of her father, despite a loving family and a full life.

• When The Phone Rangdirected by Eva Radivojevic (Serbia, United States | Fiction | 2024 | 74 min)

Synopsis: Lana, 11, is plunged into a world of memories and questions following a shocking phone call, erasing the history and identity of her country. What will she do in the face of this loss?

Neïla Driss