The 13th edition of the Luxor African Film Festival was inaugurated by artist Mahmoud Hemida at the Luxor Temple, attended by a large number of filmmakers. Mahmoud Hemida, the honorary president of the Luxor African Film Festival, stated: "Luxor, more and more, similar to Alexandria, is one of the great terrestrial landmarks; it is unique in its own right, distinguished by its specificity and individuality, which is evident in its people and their various crafts, as well as in the artifacts it holds." He added: "Luxor has warmth of emotions and humanity; in the 13th edition of the festival, we celebrate all the African colors and hope that the festival remains as grand as it was at its inception."
In his speech, Festival President Said Fouad declared: "We announce the solidarity of all festival creators with the brotherly Palestinian people against the Israeli occupying entity that kills children, youth, and women. We faced many difficulties due to the budget, and we hope to present a distinguished edition in 2024."
Meanwhile, festival director Azza El-Husseini affirmed: "We are creating a festival that stands in solidarity with all filmmakers in Africa. We have worked for ten months to develop the festival program in a different and diverse manner, and I thank all the supporters of the festival."
The opening ceremony featured the launch of the song "Africa All Colors," which reflects the theme of the 13th edition, followed by awards and the presentation of the judging panels, hosted by media personalities Fadi Ghali and Marina Al-Masri. The ceremony is set to conclude with the honoring of actor Hassan El-Raddad, actress Aimee Samir Ghanem, Moroccan director Hassan Benjelloun, Burkinabe actress Aya Keita, producer Jabi Khoury, and director Khairy Beshara, after whom the 13th edition of the festival is named.
