🎬 Alexandria Film Festival Returns
Egypt is preparing for a renewed phase of cultural and artistic activity following a recent meeting of the Supreme Committee for Festivals and Cultural and Artistic Events.
One of the most significant developments was the announcement of the return of the Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries under the organization of the Ministry of Culture.
The committee’s cinema division has also been directed to work on determining the date of the next edition and proposing names for the festival presidency before completing the necessary procedures.
🎥 Plans to Revive Other Festivals
The meeting was not limited to the Alexandria Film Festival.
Plans were also discussed to resume several festivals that had previously stopped, including events in Port Said, Ain Sokhna, Aswan, Luxor and Ismailia.
The move would expand the cultural and artistic calendar beyond Cairo and restore activities in several Egyptian cities.
🏛️ A New Supreme Festival Committee
The meeting followed the recent restructuring of Egypt’s Supreme Committee for Festivals.
The new committee includes figures from cinema, arts, media, production and cultural fields, including actress Laila Eloui and actor Khaled El Nabawy, alongside filmmakers, producers, writers and media professionals.
The committee is responsible for organizing the official festival calendar and reviewing the objectives and regulations governing cultural and artistic festivals.
📚 Cairo International Book Fair Prepares for 2027
At the same time, preparations are underway for the 58th Cairo International Book Fair in 2027.
The upcoming edition is expected to place greater emphasis on digital services and improving the visitor experience.
The preparations include organizational, cultural and technological development, with digital solutions becoming an increasingly important part of the event.
📱 A New Digital Application
One of the major developments under discussion is a unified digital application for the Cairo International Book Fair.
The planned system is designed to provide services including electronic ticket reservations, book and publisher searches, interactive maps and access to information about events.
There are also plans to explore artificial-intelligence tools and smart assistants to help visitors navigate the fair more efficiently.
🤖 Artificial Intelligence and the Visitor Experience
The digital transformation is expected to go beyond electronic ticketing.
AI-based tools could help visitors locate books, publishers and cultural events, while interactive services could make it easier to navigate the exhibition grounds.
The goal is to reduce the time visitors spend searching for information and make the overall experience more organized.
🎟️ Easier Ticket Booking
Electronic ticketing is another major element of the planned development.
Visitors are expected to have easier access to ticket information and event schedules before arriving at the fair.
The Cairo International Book Fair already has an official application that provides services such as ticket booking and browsing exhibition halls and publications, while the new digital development aims to expand these services further.
🌐 More Than a Book Exhibition
The 58th edition is also being prepared through a committee that includes experts in culture, publishing, media, international relations, intellectual property, content economics, children's culture, digital transformation and knowledge content.
This broad range of expertise reflects an approach that treats the book fair as a major cultural event rather than simply a marketplace for books.
🎭 A Wider Cultural Revival
The latest plans place festivals and the Cairo Book Fair within a broader effort to develop Egypt’s cultural and artistic activities.
The return of the Alexandria Film Festival comes alongside plans to resume other festivals, while the Cairo Book Fair prepares for a new edition centered more strongly on digital technology.
✨ Together, these developments point toward a cultural calendar that combines traditional artistic events with newer digital services.
🎬 What Comes Next for Alexandria?
Following the announcement of the festival’s return, attention will now turn to the date of the next edition, the festival president, its cinema program and accompanying activities.
The cinema committee has already begun work on these organizational steps.
Further details are expected as preparations progress.
