Cairo International Film Festival: 35 photos from the star-studded red carpet opening

After having been pushed back two weeks, the film festival is now in full swing

Egyptian actors Ahmed Helmy, centre, and wife Mona Zaki, right, attend the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actor Ahmed Fahmy attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actress Sherine Reda attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actress Eman El Assi attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

The opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) at Cairo Opera House in Cairo, Egypt. Reuters

Egyptian actors Ahmed El-Sakka and Leble attend the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff), in Cairo, Egypt. EPA

Egyptian actress Mona Zaki poses during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Saudi Arabian television personality Lojain Omran poses while wearing a face mask during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egypt's Minister of Culture Enas Abdel-Dayem walks during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actress Injy El Mokkaddem attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actress Hana Shiha attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actress Nelly Karim attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), in Cairo, Egypt. EPA

Egyptian actress Yasmine Sabri attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actress Jamila Awad attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actress Rania Mansour attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actor Asser Yassin attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actor Ahmed Dawood wears a protective face mask beside his wife, actress Ola Roshdy during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actress Yosra El Lozy poses during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actress Shereen Reda attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actor Sabry Fawwaz smiles during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actress Elham Shahin waves during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actress Abeer Sabry poses during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actress Yosra El Lozy poses during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actress Nourhan Mansour poses during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

The US ambassador to Egypt, Jonathan Cohen wears a face mask during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Egyptian actress Hana El Zahed poses during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Photographers take photos during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. Reuters

Syrian actress Lina Shamamian attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actor Ahmed Magdy attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actress Amina Khalil attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actor Hani Adel attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian Actress Nermin Al-Fiqy attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Egyptian actor Khaled Selim attends the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

Actor Ahmed El-Fishawy and his wife attend the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival. EPA

The 42nd Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has kicked off.

Stars of Arab cinema headed to Cairo Opera House last night for the cinematic celebration's glitzy (although toned down) opening ceremony, which saw actresses Mona Zaki, Dorra Zarrouk and Yasmine Sabri don their red-carpet best for the occasion. Zaki was also honoured with the Faten Hamama Excellence Award, named after the revered Egyptian actress, for an outstanding career in cinema.

Achievement awards have also gone to Egyptian author and scriptwriter Wahid Hamed and British playwright, screenwriter and director Christopher Hampton.

The film festival will run until Thursday, December 10, after having been pushed back two weeks to ensure safety measures were put in place according to the guidelines approved by the Egyptian government and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The event will operate at 50 per cent capacity. In addition, seats will be sanitised after every screening. The organisers are ushering in stricter precautions for all red carpet screenings, such as testing all staff and members of the press 48 hours before the start of the festival. As for guests, Ciff is setting up a medical assistance unit at the hotel where stars will be staying.

This year’s festival will show 84 films from 43 countries, boasting 33 Mena premieres, all scheduled to screen across a number of venues in Cairo.

With almost half of the total number of films that were screened last year, and under strict safety procedures, the team behind Ciff said they were keen for the show to go on. “The most important thing for us was for the festival to continue, for the sake of filmmakers,” said festival president Mohamed Hefzy.