Breathing new life into a venerable event that had lost its global lustre and local audience appeal, Hefzy’s appointment as the Cairo International Film Festival’s new president proved a masterstroke. Recognizing the need to take Dubai’s place as an annual focal point for the Arab film industry, he and his team resuscitated the festival programming and also set about creating initiatives that enable and connect filmmakers as they hatch future projects. The equivalent of $140,000 in prize money was awarded at the event as part of a three-year transformation period designed to restore Cairo’s place on the Arab industry calendar.