CAIRO, Nov. 20 -- The 40th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) opened Tuesday in the Egyptian capital amid high expectations of the oldest film festival in the Middle East region.

The event, which is held at the Cairo Opera House, will feature more than 160 films from 60 countries, including 16 world premieres.

The festival's Main Competition jury committee will be headed by prominent Danish film director Bille August who is among the very few directors who have received the Palme d'Or award twice at the Cannes Film Festival.

The committee will choose the film that will receive the highest award in the festival, the Golden Pyramid.

Other competitions include Arab Horizons, Critics' Week and Tomorrow's Cinema, with the first focusing on films from the Arab world and the other three looking at international cinema.

This jubilee edition of the festival promises numerous new features and developments, with president Mohamed Hefzy putting a lot of hope on the festival's development, according to official Ahram Online news website.

Numerous films will be screened, with a focus on Arab cinema created through the competitive Arab Horizons section showcasing a large assortment of films from Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, giving the viewers an opportunity to see the developments of the region's cinematic practices, its trends, interests and talents.

The section will include a total of eight new films, seven feature films and a documentary.

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