#Cairo Film Festival Canceled as Violence Escalates in Middle East

The Cairo Film Festival, which was set to run Nov. 15-24, has been canceled as violence continues to rise in the Middle East due to the ongoing Israel–Hamas conflict.

In a short statement on social media, the event organizers said that the decision to postpone the 45th edition of the festival was made by the Egyptian Minister of Culture Dr. Neveen El-Kelani and that new dates would be determined.

While no reason was given, the announcement comes less than a day after a blast at Gaza’s al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital reportedly left hundreds of Palestinians, including many women and children, dead and has become a lightning rod for anger across the region, with protests having erupted across the Arab world and beyond. Authorities in Gaza, which has been under siege and bombardment from Israeli armed forces since Hamas launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, blamed the hospital bombing on an Israeli airstrike, while Israel has said it was the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad also denied responsibility.

Last week, Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, which was due to launch on Oct. 13, announced it was pushing back its opening night to Oct. 27 in light of escalating violence.