Cinema of Egypt
The Egyptian film industry is today based mainly in Cairo, which is sometimes referred to as Hollywood on the Nile or Hollywood of the East, despite having its beginnings in the city of Alexandria in the early 20th century. A strong industry grew in Egypt with a high distribution rate among the Arab world, and Cairo produces around three-quarters of the Arab world's screen output. It has had a large effect on the African and Arab film industry since the early 20th century.
| Egyptian cinema | |
|---|---|
| No. of screens | 221 (2015) |
| • Per capita | 0.4 per 100,000 (2010) |
| Main distributors |
Misr International Films Film Clinic Oscar Nasr El Massah Synergy Cinema Masr Sphinx Studio Misr United |
| Produced feature films (2005–2009) | |
| Total | 42 (average) |
| Number of admissions (2015) | |
| Total | 9,561,000 |
| Gross box office (2015) | |
| Total | $267 million |
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Egyptian cinema is considered a pioneer among the African and Arab film industries. Since 1896, over 4,000 films have been produced in Egypt. Egyptian films are typically spoken in the Egyptian Arabic dialect. Since 1952, Cairo has held the Egyptian Catholic Center Film Festival; it is the oldest film festival in the Middle East and Africa. In 1976, the capital held the annual FIAPF-accredited Cairo International Film Festival, which has since been held annually, and there are many more film festivals held in Egypt.