Tips from the culture desk: Films, films films!

Mohamed Khan memorial at Cinema Karim — Sunday

Director Mohamed Khan departed all too suddenly at the end of July, leaving behind an extensive filmography. His family and friends are holding a memorial service for him at Cinema Karim, including a film screening and an impressive lineup of guests. The program includes an oud interlude by Armenian musician George Kazazian, along with speeches by cinematographer Said al-Shimi, film critic Youssef Sherif Rizkallah, actress Leila Elwy, director Mohamed Sweed, cinematographer Kamal Abdel Aziz and director Dawoud Abdel Sayed. Another musical interlude by Hany Shenouda will follow alongside even more speeches by actor Mahmoud Hemeida, critic Mahmoud Abdel Shakour, editor Dina Farouk and directors Magdy Ahmed Ali and director Khairy Bishara. Finally the evening will close with a screening of Khan’s film The Knight of the City(1991).

The event will take place on Sunday 28 August at 8.30pm at Cinema Karim, Emad Eddin Street, Downtown Cairo.

Five Egyptian Short Films at Bibliotheca Alexandrina —Sunday to Wednesday

As part of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s International Summer Festival, five Egyptian short films will be shown over four consecutive nights. On Sunday you can catch Maysoon El-Masry’s documentary Aida, which follows the 86-year-old Aida as she strolls through the streets of Alexandria pushing her wheelchair. Monday’s film A Stroll Down Sunflower Lane by Mayye Zayed tells the story of a young girl developing her memory as her old grandfather starts to lose his. Tuesday will see the screening of two films by Mohamed Mostafa, The Treeand Tashkeel. Finally on Wednesday Sherif El Bendary’s Dry Hot Summers will be shown.

All screenings will be followed by director Q&As and will take place at 8:00pm at the Auditorium. Free of charge.

Yallah! Underground documentary screening at Zawya —Monday

Zawya cinema will host the Egyptian premier of Yallah! Underground, a documentary by Lebanese director Farid Eslam. Filmed between 2009 and 2013, the film documents underground musicians from Cairo, Beirut, Ramallah, Amman and Haifa, during a volatile period of change in their respective countries. The film includes appearances from Maii Waleed, Zeid Hamdan and Tamer Abu Ghazala among others. Though the film has been met with mixed reactions, it is one of the most anticipated films on alternative arts in the region, and is certainly worth a watch.

The screening will take place on Monday 29 August at 7.30pm at Zawya, Cinema Odeon, 4 Abdel Hamid Said Street, off Talaat Harb Street, downtown Cairo.

ACID Film Week — starting Wednesday

The final days of August are bringing a taste of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival to the heart of downtown Cairo — minus the red carpet, of course! A collaboration between the French Institute in Egypt, Cinema Zawya and Cimathèque Alternative Film Center, the ACID Film Week (Association du cinéma indépendant pour sa diffusion, established at the Cannes Festival in 1993) incorporates a selection of independent international films, ranging from features to documentaries. Screenings will be held at each of the three organizing institutions over the course of a week, starting Wednesday.

ACID film week will run until September 6 with screenings at the French Institute in Mounira, Zawya cinema and Cimathèque. You can find a detailed program and updates on screening hours here.