CAIRO, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 45th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) kicked off Wednesday evening at Egypt's Cairo Opera House with strong Chinese participation.

Egyptian veteran movie star Hussein Fahmy, the festival's president, expressed appreciation for the presence of Chinese film at the 45th CIFF.

"We have 18 Chinese guests today and about seven Chinese films participating in the 45th CIFF. We have always been interested in Chinese cinema, and I have watched Chinese films since I was a student at the cinema institute," Fahmy told Xinhua on the red carpet during the opening gala.

He added that cooperation with China could lead to future co-productions, noting that the CIFF signed a memorandum of understanding with China Media Group (CMG) in late July, which focused on creating joint content on international films, exchanging artistic and cultural expertise, and sharing professional guests, films, and jury members.

Among the Chinese movies participating in the festival is Brief History of a Family, directed by Lin Jianjie, which competes in the International Critics' Week Competition with seven other films.

Launched in 1976, the CIFF is the oldest internationally accredited annual film festival in the Arab world, Africa, and the Middle East. This year's festival runs from Nov. 13 to 22. Enditem

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