'The Irishman' to open Cairo Film Festival

Martin Scorsese's mafia movie "Irishman" will open the Cairo International Film Festival.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the screening marks the Middle East and North African premiere of the film with a showcase at the Cairo Opera House on November 20, a week before it lands on Netflix.

"We are extremely excited to be raising the red curtain of the festival with the epic masterpiece from one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, the genius that is Martin Scorsese," said Cairo festival president Mohamed Hefzy.

The film, starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino, has been a festival favourite -- it had its world premier at the New York Film Festival in September.

"The Irishman" recently closed the London Film Festival, with future screenings at the Mill Valley, Hamptons, Lumiere, San Diego, Mumbai, Rome, Philadelphia, Chicago, Tokyo, Camerimage, and Los Cabos movie extravaganzas.

Besides the Scorsese directorial, the film festival will host 149 other features and shorts from 63 countries over the 10-day festival, including 30 world premieres.

The festival runs through November 20-29.