Luxor African Film Festival Offers Platform For Continent's Filmmakers

With one of the oldest cinema industries in Africa - having screened its first film in 1896 - Egypt has an important role to play in leading African cinema forward and promoting collaboration.

In January, the 14th Luxor African Film Festival hosted 228 filmmakers and cinephiles from 19 African countries and held workshops in acting, directing, storytelling and technology for aspiring and professional filmmakers.

Platforms to enhance co-productions and cross-country projects, as well as connections with the diaspora, are pillars the organisers believe are essential to amplify the continent's important stories.

"African cinema is on the rise. There might not be a developed cinema industry in all of the countries, but there are filmmakers," Azza El Hosseiny, director of the Luxor African Film Festival tells African Business , speaking from her Cairo office.

"When we decided to start this festival 14 years ago, it was because there was nothing like it, and we wanted to establish communication among African countries," says Azza.