Through Cairo Industry Days, the festival’s educational platform, the U.S. Embassy awarded Egyptian filmmakers Sara Shazli and Adham Al Sharif with in-person film residencies in Los Angeles. The Embassy is also supporting Ayten Amin, a past residency participant, to screen her film, Souad, in Los Angeles prior to representing Egypt at the upcoming 94th Academy Awards competition.

Shazli and Al Sharif’s residency programs carry a combined value of $19,000 and are managed by Film Independent, an implementing partner of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.

“Since 2016, the U.S. Embassy has partnered with the Cairo International Film Festival to bring together American and Egyptian screenwriters, directors, and film experts to share ideas, network, and collaborate. Our programs strengthen creative industries as well as our strategic partnership,” commented U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan R. Cohen.