30 years of the Cairo Film Fest.

The Cairo International Film Festival, which ended early last month, closed with a dazzling ceremony celebrating its 30th year, as well as its first time co-sponsorship with Cairo-based Telco giant Orascom. Chinese film The Road, by Zhang Jiarui, won the top Golden Pyramid prize. Latin America was the guest of honor country with 17 films and eight premieres.

In competition were 19 films from 16 countries. Prizes given out by a jury headed by Argentine director Luis Puenzo included Best Director to Iranian Khosro Masoumi for Somewhere Too Far and Special Jury Prize Silver Pyramid to Sri Lankan Sankara, by Prasanna Jayakody. For the first time, digital films were in competition, and Italian film Beneath The Same Moon won the Feature Digital Film Prize of U.S.$10,000.

A change in festival management saw Egyptian actor Omar Sharif as honorary festival president, with actor Ezzat Abu Auf serving as festival president. Actors were also bestowed tributes, among them Jacqueline Bisset, Argentine actress Mia Maestro, Egyptian actress Youssra, American actor Danny Glover and French singer Charles Aznavour.

For the first time, an anti-piracy seminar was held by the Egypt Association for Protecting Intellectual Property Rights with U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). Egypt Competitiveness Council chairman Helmy Abol Eish spoke of how piracy negatively impacts competition in Egyptian industries. The legal framework for combating piracy was presented by lawyer Ahmed Abou Ali. Brazilian producer Flavio Tambelini delved into the experience of fighting film piracy in Brazil. Latin America battles an estimated 35 percent piracy problem according to CIPE statistics.

The festival market did not attract many takers aside from TV participants like Arabia and Egypt TV; but sponsor Orascom's chief Naguib Sawirass launched his new venture satellite channel OTV at the market. The channel is expected to be up and running this month.