New Generation Of Egyptian Filmmakers Challenging Mainstream Film Industry Post-Revolution

Still From 'Cairo Exit'

A definitely worth-reading report from ScreenDaily this morning, on an indie film movement shaping in Cairo, Egypt, intent on challenging the monopoly long-held by the country's film and TV industry’s old guard, and really shaking things up.

Specifically, as the report states, a group of 100 or so indie Egyptian producers and directors are launching their own union that will challenge the existing Egypt Cinema Professions Syndicate, which has been the face of the country's film industry since 1955.

Some of the differences that the indies say that their new union will promote include... "We’re against the star system, for example, so we state an actor’s salary cannot exceed 50% of the budget. Our regulations also cover pay and working hours," a founding member of the newly-formed indie union (Hala Lotfy) stated .

Other changes the movement says it plans to push for include challenging Egypt’s strict cinema censorship laws that ban religion or sex-related subjects/topics.

They are also exploring alternative methods of getting their films in theaters, given the country's monopolistic distribution market.

A new generation of young, energetic, defiant filmmakers is collecting in post-revolution Egypt, bent on challenging the mainstream film industry in post-revolution Egypt.

The collective is currently developing 8 new feature films, which we'll be profiling as we research and learn more about each one.

If any of our readers is intimately familiar with these developments, and can further enlighten, please do. Although I plan to revisit this after I do further research.

You can read the full report HERE.