The Egyptian horror film "Warda" will be screened this month in South Korea at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival that will end on July 26.
The film, which was released in Egyptian cinemas in November 2014 and was screened at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival after its Arab world release, is considered the first Egyptian "found footage" horror film, exposing Egyptian audiences to a filmmaking style they are only used to seeing in Hollywood movies.
Written by Mohamed Hefzy, who also wrote famed Egyptian films "Malaky Eskenderya" and "El-Selem We El-Teaban," and directed by Hadi El-Bagoury, "Warda" tells the story of a video blogger named Walid who returns to his family home in Egypt's countryside to document and investigate strange occurrences that have been disturbing his family since his father died.
The film, which was based on true events, was praised for being a horror film that is representative of Egyptian culture and society instead of replicating Hollywood's horror movie storylines and, therefore, it struck a chord with Egyptian audiences.
In addition to its authenticity, the film was also praised for opening up new opportunities for Egyptian filmmakers to experiment with the genre, leading by example.
The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is held annually in Bucheon, a satellite city of Seoul. The festival's dominant film themes are love, fantasy and adventure. It screens both Asian and international horror, thriller, mystery and fantasy films.
This year's 11-day 19th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is screening 235 films from 45 countries, 62 of them world premieres. "Warda" is the only Egyptian film to be screened at the festival.