CAIRO, Nov 9 (Aswat Masriya) – The 36^th Cairo International Film Festival is scheduled to launch Sunday night at the Saladin Citadel.

The festival, ongoing until November 18, will host a large number of Egyptian, Arab and international actors and artists. It will be attended by Egypt's Culture Minister Gaber Asfour and Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou.

Sixteen films are competing for the festival's International Award, representing 14 countries. Egypt is represented by the film "Bab al-Wadaa" (The Farewell Door), a silent feature film directed by Karim Hanafi.

The award's jury is headed by renowned Egyptian actress Yousra.

Established in 1976, the annual Cairo International Film Festival was the first of its kind in the Arab world.

The festival was not held twice since January 2011 uprising which toppled former President Hosni Mubarak. It was cancelled in 2011 and 2013 due to political instability.