15th Ismailia Documentary Festival opens Saturday

The festival runs till 28 June; it is headed by director Magdy Ahmed Ali, the head of the National Centre for Cinema, and organised by film critic Amir El-Omrany. 40 countries are participating with over 100 films: 56 in the official selection, divided into four competitions: short feature films (20 films), short documentary films (15 films), long documentary films (8 films), and animated features (13). The 15th Ismailia Film Festival is dedicated to the late set designer and artist Salah Marei, who is one of the pillars of the festival and will be commemorated during the proceedings. The opening ceremony will involve the screening of three documentary films directed by the late Shady Abdel-Salam, which are being screened for the first time after they were definitively edited by Magdy Abdel-Rahman, together entitled "The Road to God". In addition there will be an exhibition exploring the life and work of the late artist Salah Marei. Participating in the four competitions are nine Egyptian films. From Ahram