In these pages you will hopefully find interesting tips on how to take advantage of Cairo's many cultural opportunities, with particular attention to live events. Cairo Live Events Guide does not pretend to be exhaustive but will try to cover main events open to the public.

This is a private, independent, nonprofit endeavour. This blog was started in August 2008 by Cairowanderer who has been running it solo up to May 2011. Since then Cairene Beat contributes as well to the blog. If you have any comment, tip, or information you think might be relevant for the blog, please write to cairowanderer@gmail.com or cairenebeat@gmail.com.

Read about Cairo Live Events Guide on The Daily News Egypt

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

ABOU EL GHEIT DERVISHES at the Tanboura Hall


El Mastaba Center for Egyptian Folk Music will host a night of spiritual music with the Sufi group Abou El Gheit Dervishes on Thursday February 2, 2012 in El Tanbura Hall at 9:00 PM. Entry tickets available at the entrance (20 EGP) .
If you haven't been there yet, do try to go. It is a very nice experience both on the musical and on the human side. The people at El Mastaba are really friendly and they do, against many odds, an amazing job reviving and bringing to the general public Egyptian traditional music. I always had a lot of respect for their work.


The Story of the Dervishes of Abou El Gheit
Abou El Gheit is the name of an island near Qaliyubia where a queen called Anja once lived. She used to enslave people to work for her on her enormous property for next to nothing.
Sheikh Hassan Ebeid was a religious man, who had given up on any greed or material aspirations, and did not approve of Anja's behavior. He was called Hassan Al Ghitani, which means the one who always resides in the 'gheit' or field.
Hassan would help the poor, mistreated farmers and workers of queen Anja, and in the remaining time would pray in the fields. One night he found a dead body floating in a canal near a field where he had spent the night praying to God. He buried it carefully and fell asleep. During his sleep he was touched by a soft whisper of a messenger of God, who promised him that God would care for him and protect him.
Queen Anja tried to kill Hassan several times, but never succeeded as he was protected by God's mercy.
People began calling him Sheikh Abul Gheit, and coming from all over the country to enjoy his presence and witness his miracles.
Sheikh Abul Gheit died in 1830 and his son Sheik Attallah Abul Gheit followed in his footsteps. He had many devoted admirers and was known for the Sufi "zikr" rituals he would perform all over Egypt.
One night, Sheikh Attallah Abul Gheit was in an area called Arab Al Mohamadi, known for its Sudanese community and frequent zar performances. The leader of this area was a tough man named Mohamed Morgan, who wouldn't allow anyone to have entertainment or conduct a zikr without his permission. During a confrontation with him, Sheikh Abul Gheit prayed that God would purify Morgan's soul, and overnight Morgan had became Abul Gheit's most devoted follower. Morgan joined him in every journey after that and lead the zikr nights after Abul Gheit's death.
Morgan was the link between Arab Al Mohamadi and Abul Gheit and the distinct styles of Egyptian and Sudanese Zar. Through him, his sons and his followers, a new and unique kind of music came to life. Through constant traveling and experimenting, Abul Gheit's dervishes created an exceptional fusion, a new kind of zar that did not believe in 'ghosts' or 'spirits', but was in fact a tool to awaken the spirit and touch the deepest levels of the soul.*



"Sufi singing is characterized by its power to deeply penetrate into the human soul. The dervishes of the Ghitani way have penetrated even further: in their weekly gatherings their chanting can lead to a kind of healing of the pain and suffering of the soul. This brings together those who seek the spiritual help that can give relief to their wounds.
We are not claiming that you will touch the same spirituality as in their ritual gatherings, but if you come to see them at El Tanbura Hall, you will discover a spiritual world you haven't seen before."


* Information provided by El Mastaba Center for Egyptian Folk Music.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Cinema Updates for this week and next

Friday, February 3, 2012

- Roadmap to Apartheid at Artellewa in Ard el Lewa, 7:30 PM

Saturday, February 4, 2012

- Roadmap to Apartheid at the Townhouse Gallery in Downtown, 7:00 PM

Sunday February 5, 2012

- A woman goes to the doctor /Love Life (Komt een vrouw bij de dokter ) at the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo in Zamalek, 7:00 PM

Saturday, February 11, 2012

- Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid" at Arthropologie Gallery in Zamalek, 6:00 PM
The cinema club is a new venture by the Arthropologie Gallery. This movie screening will be followed by a discussion with Dr. Salma Mubarak.

WEEKLY AGENDA MUSIC January 28 - February 3, 2012

Please note that CLEG will be on a break next week and will return back in action starting February 7.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

- Cairo Symphony Orchestra in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Cairokee (Contemporary Egyptian Rock) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Sunday, January 29, 2012

- The Choir Project - Laa Taaliq at the Rawabet, 8:00 PM
- Opera "Aida" in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Konouz Ensemble for Arab Music at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Fuego (Latino Gipsy music) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Rooftop Sessions (improv. world jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Bashir (Nubian Fusion) at After Eight, 9:00 PM
- Samaa’ Band led by Intesar Abdel-Fattah at the Ghouri Palace, 8:00 PM
- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi, 7:30 PM

Monday, January 30, 2012

- Opera "Aida" in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Ta2feel Masry in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Ahmed Ezzat in the River Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- High Voltage ft. Machine Eat Man, Bikya and NEOBYRD (electronic music) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

- Opera "Aida" in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Compositions Concert with Mohamed Ali Farag in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Ahmed Ezzat in the River Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- The Catch (Soul/Blues/Debut) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Ahmed Harfoush (Jazz) at Pub 55, 10:00 PM

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

- Moushira Issa (piano recital) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Chamber Music Concert conducted by Mohamed Abou El Arab in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Tranzistor in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- DJ Tito (Disco House) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 8:30
- Mazaher Ensemble at the Makan, 9:00
- The Riff Band (Jazz) at the Jazz Bar in the Nile Kempinski, 9:30 PM

Thursday, February 2, 2012

- Aya Mustafa & Mai Walid & Yousra el-Hawary in Combo Program (contemporary music) at the Rawabet theater, 8:00 PM
- Abdel Halim Noweira Ensemble for Arab music in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Sakia Puppet Theater presents Om Kolthoum Back on Stage the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Infinity & EGOZ at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Musical event at El Tanboura Hall, 8:30 PM
- Salalem (Blues/Funk/Rock) at After Eight, 9:00 PM

Friday, February 3, 2012

- Osman El Mahdy (Violin & Piano Recital) the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM

Also look out for the following events since Cairenebeat may be on the down-low.

Sunday 29 January, 2012 to Wednesday Feburary 8, 2012

- Independent Combo Program at the Rawabet, 8:00 PM


Sunday, February 5, 2012


- The International Music Center presents Gioachino Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle performed by The Cairo Celebration Choir and conducted by Nayer Nagui at the Manasterly Palace

Thursday, February 9, 2012

- French Touch Chloe with warmup by NEOBYRD at the French Institute in Mounira, 8:00 PM

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

El Hinna Band at El Tanboura Hall


On January 26th, the first Suez/Egyptian martyr of the glorious revolution 2011 fell. One year later, on this same date, Thursday January 26, 2012 at 9:00 PM, El Hinna band from Suez will present songs of resistance and revolution at El Tanbura Hall. Entry tickets (20 EGP) on sale at the entrance.

The city of Suez is privileged to be the oldest inhabited place in the Suez Canal area; it has had a number of different names since the Pharaonic era, some 3000 years ago, and it has given its name to the canal which was inaugurated in the 19th century. In its special position at the Mediterranean end of the Red Sea (also called Gulf of Suez), the city of Suez has been profoundly affected by the arts of the Red Sea, especially the art of clapping "El Kaf" which features in the seal of the city. Its rhythms have been influenced by those of Jeddah, as well as by the musical and rhythmic features of the Red Sea region. Suez is also famous for its heroic role in resisting the Israeli invasion in 1973. The music played a central role in charging the spirit of resistance: strengthened by the simsimya strings, the resistance sang for the rifle bullets.

Since the first day of the 25th of January revolution, El Mastaba Center has participated, performed and, in general, dealt with the social and political issues of Egypt. They have now made a video documenting the performances of the Center's bands in different liberation squares and on different political occasions. To watch the video (on YouTube), click here.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

WEEKLY AGENDA MUSIC Jan 21-27, 2012

Apologies for the late-ish Saturday. Hope you all have a safe and good week ahead! :)
Congratulations on the anniversary of the revolution and please do notify of events in that regards that may have been missed!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

- 25th of January Revolution Celebration in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- The Enchanted Island (LIVE from the MET) in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Bashir (Nubian Fusion) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Sunday, January 22, 2012

- Bassoon & Piano Recital with Tamer Kamal in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Kolthomiat at the Arab Music Institute, 8:00 PM
- Mohamed el Nahas in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Amro Salah Jazz Trio (Jazz) Ft. Noha Fekry at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Bashir (Nubian Fusion) at After Eight, 9:00 PM
- Samaa’ Band led by Intesar Abdel-Fattah at the Ghouri Palace, 8:00 PM
- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi, 7:30 PM

Monday, January 23, 2012

- Ali el Alfi (Contemporary Arabic songs) in the River Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- DJ Misty and DJ Hafez (Funk/House/Techno/Disco) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

- Ashara Gharby (World Music) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Ahmed Harfoush (Jazz) at Pub 55, 10:00 PM
- The Riff Band (Jazz) at the Jazz Bar in the Nile Kempinski, 9:30 PM

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

- Hossam Sakr Ensemble for Religious Singing at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Ali El Haggar (Egyptian Music) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 9:00 PM
- DJ Ramy (Boogie) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 8:30
- Mazaher Ensemble at the Makan, 9:00

Thursday, January 26, 2012

- Opera "Aida" in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Commemoration of Mohamed El Kasabgy in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Heritage Ensemble for Arab Music at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- National Arab Music Ensemble at the Arab Music Institute, 8:00 PM
- Sheila Scribner & Positive Energy (acid jazz/Funk/RnB) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 8:00 PM
- Music event at El Tanboura Hall, 8:30 PM
- Salalem (Blues/Funk/Rock) at After Eight, 9:00 PM

Friday, January 27, 2012

- Opera "Aida" in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Eftekasat (Jazz) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- DJ Ramsi / DJ Sherif Nakhla (Electronic) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM

Cinema Updates

Saturday, January 21, 2012

- Cultures of Resistance (documentary) at the Townhouse Gallery, 7:00 PM
- Masry Asly Film Festival at the Italian Culture Insitute, 6:00 PM onwards

Sunday, January 22, 2012

- Masry Asly Film Festival at the Italian Culture Insitute, 6:00 PM onwards

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

- The Woman, the Orphan, and the Tiger at the Townhouse Gallery, 7:00 PM
- Incendies (French/Arabic/English) at the Open Air Theater, Cairo Opera House, 7:30 PM (Arabic subtitles)

Friday, January 20, 2012

Afghan Music Academy - Music is the answer!


I came across this article on Asharq Alawsat about the efforts to rebuild a music academy in Kabul and was touched by the determination and resilience of students and teachers alike in front of the many obstacles that they face.
I think they deserve all the support they can get; spreading the news is a first step. Maybe somebody out there can help :-).
Good luck to all involved in this project. I hope to witness soon a concert of the National Symphony Orchestra of Afghanistan.


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tok Tok 5 comic book launch on Friday January 20, 2012

Edition 5 of the comic book Tok Tok will be launched on Friday January 20, 2012 at the Townhouse Gallery, 7:00 PM. Copies of previous five issues, 0 to 4 may also be available.

Tok Tok 5 - توك توك ٥

18 Days in Egypt - Concert and Party

The website '18 Days in Egypt' will have a launch party with a concert at the Goethe Institut's Tahrir Lounge (5, Bustan Street, Downtown) on Thursday, January 19, 2012, 7:00 PM.
Here is the event announcement:

"You witnessed it. You recorded it. Now write Egypt's history"

18 Days in Egypt WEBSITE PARTY & CONCERT / حفل انطلاق 18 يوم في مصر

Bring your laptops, your phones, and your friends and learn how to upload your story of the ongoing Revolution onto the new website
http://www.18DaysInEgypt.com/ !

FREE EVENT! ALL AGES

We will have a demonstration of the website and then you will get to upload your story together with everyone at the launch party!

Featuring performances by Arab music artists voted "Worth Watching in 2012" by Aslan Media:

ARABIAN KNIGHTZ
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arabian-Knightz/156048624184
RAMY ESSAM
https://www.facebook.com/RamyEssamOfficial
MC AMIN
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MCAmin/30401772301
DJ RAMY
http://www.myspace.com/dramjay

Food and refreshments provided!

Masry Asly Film Fest from January 19-22, 2012

The Masry Asly Film Festival will showcase a collection of Egyptian independent cinema in three cities in Egypt.

Masry Asly Film Fest will take place in Cairo from Thursday January 19, 2012 to Sunday January 22, 2012 at the Italian Institute of Culture, 6:00 PM onwards. It will also be showcased in Alliance Francaise in Port Said (from 28-30 January, 2012, 6:00 PM) and at the Jesuit Brothers Association in Minya (2-4 February, 2012. 6:00 PM)

The films are subtitled in English.

Masry Asly Film Festival / مهرجان مصري أصلي

For more information on the festival, including film programme and schedule visit: http://www.masry-asly.com.

Film: Cultures of Resistance on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Cultures of Resistance will be screened on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at the Townhouse Gallery, 7:00 PM

Film Screening: The Cultures of Resistance- عرض فيلم: ثقافات المقاومة
Film director / activist Lara Lee has recently released Cultures of Resistance, a feature film length documentary that has gained remarkably sensational traction around the globe. The movie powerfully shows the struggle against poverty, oppression (with all its facets and colors), exploitation, inherent corruption and social, environmental and economic injustice and degradation around the world through different forms of artistic expression be it graffiti and music in Iran, poetry, dance and photography in South America, underground hip hop in Palestine just to name a few. The film is currently on tour around the world, with screenings within and outside of film festivals in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Cultures of Resistance is refreshingly moving, colorfully human and piercingly insightful and is surely an eye opener for the whole world.

For more information: www.culturesofresistance.org

Monday, January 16, 2012

Choir Project performance on Monday, January 16, 2012 cancelled

Dear All,

Just heard that the choir project performance will not take place on Monday, January 16, 2012 but do go to the performances on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 and Wednesday January 18, 2012.

Sorry for the late notice!

Critical Writing Workshops on Contemporary Art and Ancient Heritage


Pro Helvetia invites Egyptian artist Amr Fekry and Swiss artist Guido Reichlin to participate in the fourth workshop of a series, tackling critical writing on contemporary art, which will take place on 17- 19 January 2012, at 5:00 PM at the Saad Zaghloul Cultural Center (2 Saad Zaghloul St., next to Dareeh Saad, El Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo). This workshop focuses on contemporary art works that respond to the local interest in the society while they’re based on ancient heritage and art traditions.

Fekry’s work is known for its strong relation to the Egyptian and Islamic/Sufi heritage. He will give a presentation on images and texts from his four phases serial art project, namely "The Holy of the Holies", which relies on meditations and analysis of ancient wisdom texts, hoping to reach new conceptions through rebuilding images in a centralized form, based on the laws of sacred geometry. Fekry will explain how ancient and Islamic/ Sufi art can be strongly connected to contemporary art as well as to the present everyday life. "Between words and images, I travelled on the search for wisdom ... and to assure my faith I wanted to show the vitality of wisdom, the firmness of its presence beyond the limits of time and its ability to appear in any form, be it in the form of contemporary art", says Fekry.

On the other hand, the work of Guido Reichlin and Karin Waelchli (Chalet5) is a contribution to an ongoing discussion on values and meaning of ornament. As western artists they are strongly interested in widening the horizon of western art reflection, reconsidering thoughts, categories and verdicts of modernism as well as the position of the artist and his work within society. “Our researches on contemporary patterns and abstractions lead us towards a stage where cultural exchange occupies a most vital and central point in our works. By taking a closer look into non-western conventions we come to a deeper understanding of the tension lying in the crossovers between ornament and image, between outward appearance and content”, says Reichlin.

 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

HEIDI - Storytelling Evening for Children at the Rawabet Theatre


In a storytelling evening for children, Egyptian storyteller Abeer Soliman will hold a performance, based on "Heidi", a book written by Swiss author Peter Stamm on 15, 16 & 17 January, 2012 at Rawabet Theater, 6:00 PM. The book was translated into Arabic by Kalima organization with the support of Pro Helvetia.

Story character puppets designed by Hani El-Masri
Story scenes projections designed by Walid Fathi
Soundtrack and song music by Ahmed El Sawy
Heidi is directed by Mohammad Saeedi and supported by Prohelvetia.


Pro Helvetia Cairo is donating Arabic translated copies of the book “Heidi” to public libraries in different governorates around Egypt.

Rawabet Theatre: 3 Hussien El Me'amar St. ext. of Mahmoud Basiouny St. ,from Talaat Harb Sq. - Downtown.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

WEEKLY AGENDA MUSIC January 14-20, 2012

Saturday, January 14, 2012

- Cairo Symphony Orchestra presents A Tribute to Nature conducted by Jiri Petredlik in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- SimpleXity and Tang Dynasty celebrate Year of the Dragon at Sawy Culture Wheel, 3:00 PM onwards.
- Malaleem band (Anniversary Celebration / Contemporary Egyptian) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Sunday, January 15, 2012

- Indian Classical Singing and Dance in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Michelle Rounds (jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Samaa’ Band led by Intesar Abdel-Fattah at the Ghouri Palace, 8:00 PM
- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi, 7:30 PM
- Bashir (Nubian Fusion) at After Eight, 9:00 PM
- Ramzy Yassa (Piano) Beethoven Sonatas at the Manial Palace, 8:00 PM

Monday, January 16, 2012

- The Choir Project - Laa Taaliq at the Jesuit Centre, 8:30 PM
- Sharara Sextet in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- DJ Ouzo (Electronic) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

- The Choir Project - Laa Taaliq at the Jesuit Centre, 8:30 PM
- Concert with Manal Mohie El-Din (Harp) in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- El Sakia String Orchestra presents Tango Eve in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Screwdriver (Rock’n’Roll) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00
- Ahmed Harfoush (Jazz) at Pub 55, 10:00 PM

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

- The Choir Project - Laa Taaliq at the Jesuit Centre, 8:30 PM
- Cultural Symposium - Embassy of Spain in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Mai Farouq in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- DJ Feedo (RnB night) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 8:30
- Mazaher Ensemble at the Makan, 9:00
- The Riff Band (Jazz) at the Jazz Bar in the Nile Kempinski, 9:30 PM

Thursday, January 19, 2012

- National Arab Music Ensemble in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Yehya Khalil (Jazz) band in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Awtar Ensemble with Amr Abdel Moneim at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Eskenderella in the River Hall at Sawy Culture Wheel, 8:00 PM
- Ahmed Nazmi Duo and Bad Mojo (Blues) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- 18 Days in Egypt website party & concert (Arabian Knightz, Ramy Essam, MC Amin, DJ Ramy) at Tahrir Lounge, Goethe, 7:00 PM
- El Masryeen Band at the Prince Taz Palace, 7:00 PM

Friday,
January 20, 2012

- Indian Classical Singing and Dance at the National Academy of Arts in Giza, 6:00 PM
- Commemoration of Mohamed El Mogy in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Farid El Babely Ensemble at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- DJ Ali Awadi (Funky House) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00

Cairo Documenta 2 Visual Arts exhibit Jan 14 - 28, 2012

Cairo Documenta 2 screens from Sunday, January 14, 2012 until Saturday, January 28, 2012 , 8:00 PM at the Viennoise Hotel 11, Mahmoud Bassouni St, Downtown.

See related video here.

Future Shorts Film Festival, Saturday, January 14, 2012


The Future Shorts Film Festival will be taking place in Egypt on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at the Amuse Lifestyle concept store in Zamalek, 6:00 PM onwards.

Taken from the facebook page

Future Shorts is finally in Egypt! So prepare yourselves for a night of foreign film appreciation, live music, and good conversation.

The Future Shorts Film Festival is the biggest pop up film festival of its kind, showcasing the most exciting short films from around the world. From November to January the Film Festival will be taking place simultaneously across the globe, and we'd like you to be part of it!

Currently, the festival takes place in over 50 cities and 17 countries, showcasing a single program of the best short films often alongside live music, DJs and art. From London to Moscow, Perth to Jakarta, and NOW EGYPT! The screenings take place across a huge variety of spaces including, music halls, cinemas, theatres, galleries, clubs, and warehouses.


===========================================
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
===========================================

Includes the Oscar-winner “God of Love”, BAFTA-winning “The Eagleman Stag” and Sundance-winner “Deeper Than Yesterday.”

There will be a live music performance by our favorite Nadya Shanab, followed by the screening of the short films, with breaks in-between.

A delicious selection of baked treats will be provided to us by Cookies 'N More (http://www.cookienmorestore.com/)

Invitations are out NOW at Diwan Zamalek and Heliopolis and from Wednesday at Diwan Maadi.

You can also book online here: http://www.tazkarty.net/details.aspx?event_id=227#Book

Places really are limited, so we apologize in advance if you couldn't make it.. there will be more screenings to come :)


===========================================
EVENT DETAILS
===========================================


Opening Performance:
Nadya Shanab
(https://www.facebook.com/NadyaShanab?ref=ts)


===========================================
THE FILMS
===========================================

The Eagleman Stag – Dir: Michael Please / UK / 2010

The Eagleman Stag is a unique 9-minute stop-motion animated film that depicts a man’s haunting obsession with the passage of time and his unorthodox relationship with a beetle. Directed by Michael Please, the production was a highly ambition final year film produced while studying at the RCA – it is based on a story he previously wrote entitled “The Life and Time of Peter Eagleman.” Orchestral music was integral to this film and composed in tandem with the animation process.

Winner of Best Short Animation at BAFTA, and Special Jury Prize at SXSW.
View trailer here: http://vimeo.com/13394577

***

God of Love – Dir: Luke Matheny / US / 2010

Matheny, who wrote, directed and starred in this 19-minute inventive comedy about love-inducing darts won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short in 2011. A recent film student graduate at New York University, God of Love was produced as his thesis film project while enrolled at NYU’s MFA program. At the Oscars, he was hailed as delivering one of the best acceptance speeches of the evening and thanked his mother for her contribution to the movie.

Oscar Winner in 2011 for Best Live Action Short Film.
View trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlQsnMsq_RI

***

Deeper than Yesterday – Dir: Ariel Kleinman / Australia / 2010

Filmed on an old decommissioned military submarine with 35mm cameras, Deeper Than Yesterday tells the story of a Russian crew who suffer a rather savage form of cabin fever. Directed by Ariel Kleiman, a graduate of the VCA at the University of Melbourne, recently said “The more uncomfortable I feel making a film the better it will be.” Jurors have compared the film to “The Lower Depths,” Maxim Gorky’s best-known play – very Russian with long period of isolation and madness.

Winner of International Short Filmmaking Award at Sundance.
View trailer here: http://www.deeperthanyesterday.com/

***

Incident by a Bank - Dir: Ruben Östlund / Sweden / 2009

A detailed and humorous account of a failed bank robbery: A single take where roughly 100 people meticulously recreate an actual event that took place in Stockholm in June 2006. Directed by Ruben Östlund, these events were witnessed first hand along with his producer Erik Hemmendorff while on the way to the Swedish Film Insititute. The film questions the reality of how, really, robberies happen, and what they might or, should, look like. “Making ‘Incident by a Bank’ is a way to correct the false images of robberies we see almost daily in action movies made in Hollywood,” says Östlund.

Winner of the Golden Bear at Berlinale.
View trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1521791/

***

Luminaris – Dir: Juan Pablo Zaramella / Argentina / 2011

Inspired by the Argentinian instrumental tango piece entitled “Lluvia de Estrellas” (Star Rain), Luminaris tells the story of a man living in a world controlled by time by light. Each day inhabitants of this fictional world awake and are pulled, as if by some otherworldly force, to their jobs by sunlight. Combining pixilation and stop motion techniques; the surrealist short pairs styles reminiscent of art deco with black cinema. Zaramella explains, "Originally, I approached the project as a puppet animation story, but doing some pixilation tests in the gardens of Fontevraud, just for fun, the seed of the present short was born: the idea of sunlight as a magnetic force.”

Winner of the Audience and Fipresci Award at Annecy 2011 International Animation Festival

***

The External World - Dir: David O’Reilly / Germany, Iceland / 2010

A boy learns to play the piano in this rather dark but occasionally humorous mediation on the anxieties and fears of a modern civilized society. Created as a lo-fi animation, The External World is a surreal seventeen-minute collection of vignettes which borrows themes from pop culture, cinema and videogames – classic and contemporary. Some have heralded this short as “a unique reconstruction of the universe” while O’Reilly recently noted in an interview, “I like creating experimental films that have an emotional function.”

Winner of Best Animation – Tampere Film Festival
View trailer here: http://vimeo.com/17645522

***

Ahmar Bahet (Pale Red) – Dir: Mohamed Hammad / Egypt / 2009

Ahmar Bahet tells the story of Shaimaa, a teenager who lives with her grandmother who has nothing in common with her. Shaimaa's natural sexual awakening is accompanied by intricate dilemmas and intriguing confrontations. Her world is turned upside down with intrusive peer pressure, lingerie and the feeling of being unappealing to the opposite sex. One day Shaimaa faces an embarrassing situation that forces her to reassess her identity.

Winner of Best Short Film at Alexandria Film Festival and Kazan Film Festival in Russia

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

23rd Birthday of El Tanbura on Thursday, January 12, 2012

El Mastaba Center for Egyptian Folk Music invites you to celebrate the 23rd Birth date of the legendary El Tanbura group on Thursday, January 12, 2012, 9:00 PM And enjoy the first concert of El Tanbura group in its 24th year.
The 23 years old El Tanbura is an exceptional strife story - especially in the beggining - against marginalization and becoming one of the commercial bands that without spirit and meaning, just because of their belief that it is a must to preserve this patrimonial spirit of spiritual legacy to enrich the egyptian human existence. At 1996 the band for the first time could travel abroad - exactly to France - and it was a hit, after that they begin to flourish untill in the year 2000 that their founder Zakaria Ibrahim founded El Mastaba center, afterwards the band went globally, and the center founded several other bands some of them succeeded to reach the global level as well.
Hall info:
Ticket: 20 pounds delivered at the front counter
Time: 9pm
get in touch with El Mastaba:
01150995354
Find us on Facebook View our videos on YouTube
El Tanbura Hall: 30 A El Balaqsa Str. Abidin- Downtown - Cairo

The Choir Project: La2a Taaliq (No Comment) - Workshop and performance

You may just have time to join this amazing experience that is the Choir Project and compose, play, and sing along with the group. At any rate, do not miss the performance.



The Choir Project invites people from all walks of life to put their hopes and concerns, their feelings and thoughts, their jokes and woes into song. A week-long workshop of communal improvisation, lyric-writing, and composition culminates in a short performance — with often surprising results

The Choir Project invites you to participate in its upcoming workshop, entitled 'NO COMMENT'.
The workshop is open to everyone.
Make sure to register with your full name and mobile number:
send an email to thechoirproject@gmail.com
or an sms to 0100 141 3036

The workshop will run on:
Wednesday January 11, 2012 and Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 5:00 to 10:00 PM
Friday January 13, 2012 and Saturday January 14, 2012 from 3:00 to 10:00 PM

The performance will take place on:
Monday January 16 to Wednesday January 18, 2012 at 8:30 PM at The Jesuit Cultural Centre
15, Mahrani Street. El Fagalla, Ramsis. Near Shohadaa metro stop.