Cairo Video Festival Returns for 11th Edition from December 1st - 17th

From December 1st to the 17th, the Cairo Video Festival returns for its highly anticipated 11th edition, offering a global showcase of innovative video art and experimental films. Organized by Medrar for Contemporary Art, this year’s festival promises to be a vibrant celebration of the medium, featuring a mix of screenings, workshops, and artist talks across two weeks. 

Hosted at venues across the city, including the Italian Cultural Institute, French Institute, and Zawya Cinema, the festival’s highlights include a production workshop, Cairo Compressed, running from November 25th to December 15th, which focuses on small file filmmaking in collaboration with the Small File Media Festival. The official opening takes place on December 1st at both the IIC and Medrar for Contemporary Art, followed by a series of screenings and talks by renowned Egyptian and international artists.

With 43 video works selected from nearly 800 submissions, this edition brings together a diverse range of genres, including animation, dance, performance, VR, glitch, and video poetry. The programming, curated by Mohamed Allam, Ismail Fayed, Nadine Khan, and Mena ElShazly, explores different perspectives and creative approaches, pushing the boundaries of what video art can achieve.

The theme of this edition draws inspiration from the transformative process of locust swarms, representing the uncontrollable forces of technological and digital change. The works on display challenge the boundaries of video art, prompting viewers to reconsider the intersection of the physical and digital worlds.

From performance and animation to video poetry and VR, the works on display push the limits of video art, challenging our perceptions of identity, space, and technology.