The VS-Film Festival for very short films launched the events of its second edition on Sunday evening, with an opening celebration held on the beach of Ain Sokhna in the Suez Governorate.

The ceremony was attended by a group of cinema stars and filmmakers, including Ashraf Abdel Baky, Hala Sedky, Hanan Motawie, Sherry Adel, Sabry Fawaz, Hamza Al-Aili, Manal Salama, Ahmed Wafik, Sama Ibrahim, Mohamed Radwan, Awatef Omar, Nader Fouad, Claudia Hanna, directors Omar Abdel Aziz, Adel Adeeb, Ashraf Faik, Ahmed Rashwan, Ahmed Al-Rafei, Amjad Abu Alala from Sudan, and from Saudi Arabia media figures Dr. Abdullah Mankhar and Adnan Al-Saeedi, directors Mohamed Helal, Mohamed Aws, Faysal Al-Zayat, as well as the British director and screenwriter Robert Lloyd, and French filmmaker Jean Marie, among others.

The event was attended by Major General Dr. Tarek El-Shazly, Governor of Suez, Dr. Osama Abu Nar, President of the Festival, and Ziad Basameer, the Festival’s Executive Director, along with a distinguished group of cinema artists and industry leaders. The ceremony—hosted by TV presenter Bossy Shalaby—began with a musical performance featuring violinist Omar Darwish playing the melody of “Ghanily Shwaya Shwaya” in celebration of the “Year of Umm Kulthum,” marking 50 years since her passing, followed by a dance performance of the festival’s mascot to electronic music.

An AI-generated film was then screened, in which the festival mascot “speaks” about cinema, the journey of the festival, and its aspirations towards the future of filmmaking.

The ceremony included the honoring of several cinema icons, beginning with actor Ashraf Abdel Baky, who received the Shield of the Second Edition of the festival, as well as the Shield of the Suez Governorate. Abdel Baky expressed his happiness with the recognition from a young rising festival, thanking the festival organizers and the governorate for their efforts in supporting cinema, art, and artists.

Actress Hanan Motawie also expressed her happiness upon receiving her award, saying that the festival celebrates “a moment of imagination in very short films,” emphasizing that creativity lies not in the length of the scene but in the depth of its impact. She added that she was proud the honor came shortly after Egypt’s grand celebration of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. She concluded: “Thank you to art, which makes our dreams possible.”

The festival also honored Abbas Ben Al-Abbas, the spiritual father of animation in the Arab world and founder of the first animation production company in the region. He praised the festival’s idea, describing it as bold and beautiful.

Actress Hala Sedky was honored for her artistic career; she expressed her joy to be in Ain Sokhna, noting that she was among the area’s earliest residents. She called on the governor to host more film festivals there, as the city deserves further cultural events.

In his speech, Governor Tarek El-Shazly praised the festival for empowering youth to express themselves and create through cinema—a message that aligns with the historic moment of Egypt and the world celebrating the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. He affirmed the role of art in showcasing the bright and beautiful image of Egypt.

Festival President Osama Abu Nar acknowledged the governor’s support, noting that the presence of so many stars and filmmakers at the opening reflects the festival’s success in establishing an inspiring artistic environment.

Executive Director Ziad Basameer welcomed the guests, announcing that the second edition received over 3,000 film submissions, from which the selection committee chose 300 films to screen in this year’s program.

The ceremony concluded with the screening of the documentary “Suez, My City” by the late great director Ali Abdel Khaleq, which, in just nine minutes, portrays the resilience and steadfastness of the city of Suez during the years of war.