The Arab Cinema Center has published this year's “Golden 101”, its annual list of the 101 most influential figures in Arab cinema in its 22nd edition of Arab Cinema Magazine, which is being circulated at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival and can be accessed on the Marché du Film website.
Celebrating individuals and institutions who have made the most significant impact on the Arab film industry over the past twelve months, this year's Golden 101 comprises of 13 directors, 16 producers, 14 actors, five crew members, 18 distributors from 12 institutions, 12 executives from 10 governmental cinema institutions, 11 executives from seven video-on-demand platforms, 11 representatives from seven festivals, and seven executives from film financing institutions.
Commenting on this year's Golden 101 list, Colin Brown, Mad Solutions' Managing Partner for International Operations said; “These are the artists, artisans, and power brokers who have distinguished themselves this past year – and the rest of the world should pay attention to them if...
Celebrating individuals and institutions who have made the most significant impact on the Arab film industry over the past twelve months, this year's Golden 101 comprises of 13 directors, 16 producers, 14 actors, five crew members, 18 distributors from 12 institutions, 12 executives from 10 governmental cinema institutions, 11 executives from seven video-on-demand platforms, 11 representatives from seven festivals, and seven executives from film financing institutions.
Commenting on this year's Golden 101 list, Colin Brown, Mad Solutions' Managing Partner for International Operations said; “These are the artists, artisans, and power brokers who have distinguished themselves this past year – and the rest of the world should pay attention to them if...
- 5/17/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: Newly launched Dubai-based sales company Mad World has acquired worldwide rights to Egyptian director Morad Mostafa’s Aisha Can’t Fly Away, a tense African migrant drama shooting later this year in Egypt.
The title joins the inaugural slate of Mad World, as the Arab cinema-focused sales arm of Mena distributor and talent agency Mad Solutions gears up for its Cannes Market debut next week.
Aisha Can’t Fly Away revolves around the story of Aisha, a 26-year-old African immigrant caregiver residing in Ain-shams, a Cairo neighborhood with a large African migrant community.
The film explores the intricate dynamics of a world where the authorities’ indifference to the violent tensions between Egyptians and various African nationalities has allowed different gangs to seize control. Aisha’s situation turns sour after one of these gangs offers protection in exchange for a favor.
Egypt-based South Sudanese model Buliana Simona plays Aisha in...
The title joins the inaugural slate of Mad World, as the Arab cinema-focused sales arm of Mena distributor and talent agency Mad Solutions gears up for its Cannes Market debut next week.
Aisha Can’t Fly Away revolves around the story of Aisha, a 26-year-old African immigrant caregiver residing in Ain-shams, a Cairo neighborhood with a large African migrant community.
The film explores the intricate dynamics of a world where the authorities’ indifference to the violent tensions between Egyptians and various African nationalities has allowed different gangs to seize control. Aisha’s situation turns sour after one of these gangs offers protection in exchange for a favor.
Egypt-based South Sudanese model Buliana Simona plays Aisha in...
- 5/10/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: French sales and production company Totem Films has boarded international sales on Somalia-set drama The Village Next To Paradise by Mo Harawe.
The movie was among 14 titles announced for the Un Certain Section of the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival at the event’s press conference in Paris on Thursday.
Set in a remote Somali village, the feature revolves around a newly assembled family as its members navigate between their different aspirations and the complex world surrounding them. Only love, trust and resilience will power them through their life paths.
“It is a privilege to afford to dream, let alone to become a filmmaker,” said Harawe. following the news. “The Village Next to Paradise serves as a metaphor for a country that holds the potential for paradise, were it not for the circumstances that make such a reality impossible.”
The film stars Somalian actors Ahmed Ali Farah,...
The movie was among 14 titles announced for the Un Certain Section of the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival at the event’s press conference in Paris on Thursday.
Set in a remote Somali village, the feature revolves around a newly assembled family as its members navigate between their different aspirations and the complex world surrounding them. Only love, trust and resilience will power them through their life paths.
“It is a privilege to afford to dream, let alone to become a filmmaker,” said Harawe. following the news. “The Village Next to Paradise serves as a metaphor for a country that holds the potential for paradise, were it not for the circumstances that make such a reality impossible.”
The film stars Somalian actors Ahmed Ali Farah,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Doha Film Institute’s unique Qumra incubator kicks off Friday with six days of master classes, labs and mentoring sessions and some 200 industry professionals – including programmers from Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Berlin and many other major festivals – expected to make the trek to the Qatari capital.
Qumra, which is an Arab word believed to be the origin of the word “camera,” is dedicated to supporting and shepherding first and second works by Arab directors but also supports some projects from other parts of the world. The mentors, through one-on-one meetings and master classes, will nurture the talent attached to more than 40 projects from 20 countries that are in development or post-production.
Projects in development will take part in group and individual sessions in script consulting, marketing and co-production advice, along with individual matchmaking. Projects in post-production are presented in a series of closed rough-cut and picture lock screenings for leading festival programmers,...
Qumra, which is an Arab word believed to be the origin of the word “camera,” is dedicated to supporting and shepherding first and second works by Arab directors but also supports some projects from other parts of the world. The mentors, through one-on-one meetings and master classes, will nurture the talent attached to more than 40 projects from 20 countries that are in development or post-production.
Projects in development will take part in group and individual sessions in script consulting, marketing and co-production advice, along with individual matchmaking. Projects in post-production are presented in a series of closed rough-cut and picture lock screenings for leading festival programmers,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
After scoring robust box office results regionally, Egyptian thriller “Flight 404,” starring Mona Zaki as a woman whose tainted past resurfaces as she is about to embark on a pilgrimage to Mecca, is getting a small but significant rollout in the U.S. and Europe.
Directed by Hani Khalifa, “Flight 404” sees Zaki – who starred in the Arabic adaptation of hit dramedy “Perfect Strangers” – playing an Egyptian woman named Ghada who is about to board a flight to participate in the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to atone for past misdeeds, when she is forced to face a sudden emergency requiring lots of cash. This prompts Ghada to reconnect with shady people from her past from whom she had long distanced herself.
Since releasing in Egypt on Jan. 25, “Flight 404” has scored more than 450,000 admissions across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region,...
Directed by Hani Khalifa, “Flight 404” sees Zaki – who starred in the Arabic adaptation of hit dramedy “Perfect Strangers” – playing an Egyptian woman named Ghada who is about to board a flight to participate in the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to atone for past misdeeds, when she is forced to face a sudden emergency requiring lots of cash. This prompts Ghada to reconnect with shady people from her past from whom she had long distanced herself.
Since releasing in Egypt on Jan. 25, “Flight 404” has scored more than 450,000 admissions across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In a heartfelt and sincere acceptance speech, Mohannad Al-Bakri — the Managing Director of the Jordanian Royal Film Commission (Rfc) — dedicated the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year Award, which he received from the Arab Cinema Center (Acc) at this year's edition of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), to Palestinian filmmakers, while also acknowledging the Acc's role in elevating the film industry and amplifying the voices of Arab storytellers on a global scale.
The award ceremony was held at Acc's booth at the Berlinale on Saturday, February 18th in the presence of notable figures in the film industry, including two previous recipients of the aforementioned award — producer and scriptwriter Mohamed Hefzy and Mohamed Keblawi, the Founder and General Manager of the Malmo Arab Film Festival — President of the Cairo International Film Festival Hussein Fahmy, and filmmaker Marianne Khoury.
With genuine humility and gratitude, Al-Bakri expressed his deep appreciation for being...
The award ceremony was held at Acc's booth at the Berlinale on Saturday, February 18th in the presence of notable figures in the film industry, including two previous recipients of the aforementioned award — producer and scriptwriter Mohamed Hefzy and Mohamed Keblawi, the Founder and General Manager of the Malmo Arab Film Festival — President of the Cairo International Film Festival Hussein Fahmy, and filmmaker Marianne Khoury.
With genuine humility and gratitude, Al-Bakri expressed his deep appreciation for being...
- 2/22/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Mohannad Al-Bakri, the managing director of the Jordanian Royal Film Commission (Rfc), is to receive the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year award during the upcoming Berlinale.
The honour is bestowed by the Arab Cinema Center (Acc) and highlights prominent industry figures whose contributions have helped elevate the Arab film industry in the eyes of the international filmmaking community.
Al-Bakri has been instrumental in growing the Jordan’s film industry since being named managing director at the Rfc in 2009, developing the commission’s funding and training programs, as well as building local production capacity with the opening of the country...
The honour is bestowed by the Arab Cinema Center (Acc) and highlights prominent industry figures whose contributions have helped elevate the Arab film industry in the eyes of the international filmmaking community.
Al-Bakri has been instrumental in growing the Jordan’s film industry since being named managing director at the Rfc in 2009, developing the commission’s funding and training programs, as well as building local production capacity with the opening of the country...
- 1/31/2024
- ScreenDaily
Eric Roberts Joins ‘Lolita’
Exclusive: Oscar nominee Eric Roberts (Runaway Train) has joined Johnny Ortiz (Peppermint) and Alexis Vazquez in feature drama Lolita from director Jorge Xolalpa. Filming is currently underway on the Mighty Aphrodite Pictures movie. The plot centers on Jesus (Vazquez), a man who after being released from jail tries to get custody of his daughter. Roberts will portray jaded police officer Jones who grows to care for Jesus’ wellbeing. Pic is being produced by Xolalpa at Mighty Aphrodite Pictures and Alfredo Widman. Roberts, whose recent credits include Damien Chazelle’s Babylon for Paramount Pictures, is repped by Sovereign Talent Group and Scott Carlson Entertainment.
Banijay Benelux Bolsters Nl Film Management Team
Banijay Benelux has promoted Dennis Cornelisse to the role of Managing Director and appointed Wynand Chocolaad as Head of Productions at Nl Film with immediate effect. Cornelisse, who previously served as producer at Nl Film, is replacing Alex Doff,...
Exclusive: Oscar nominee Eric Roberts (Runaway Train) has joined Johnny Ortiz (Peppermint) and Alexis Vazquez in feature drama Lolita from director Jorge Xolalpa. Filming is currently underway on the Mighty Aphrodite Pictures movie. The plot centers on Jesus (Vazquez), a man who after being released from jail tries to get custody of his daughter. Roberts will portray jaded police officer Jones who grows to care for Jesus’ wellbeing. Pic is being produced by Xolalpa at Mighty Aphrodite Pictures and Alfredo Widman. Roberts, whose recent credits include Damien Chazelle’s Babylon for Paramount Pictures, is repped by Sovereign Talent Group and Scott Carlson Entertainment.
Banijay Benelux Bolsters Nl Film Management Team
Banijay Benelux has promoted Dennis Cornelisse to the role of Managing Director and appointed Wynand Chocolaad as Head of Productions at Nl Film with immediate effect. Cornelisse, who previously served as producer at Nl Film, is replacing Alex Doff,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
After stumbling upon a story through a link on Facebook about a team of blind footballers from Egypt who arrived in Warsaw and disappeared into thin air after it turned out they could actually see, writer-director
“They literally disappeared into thin air and it turned out they could all see,” Hilal said during a conversation about the movie at Deadline’s Contenders Film: International. “I was laughing and everyone in Egypt was laughing.”
Hilal decided to use the premise of this true-life event for his directorial debut Voy! Voy! Voy!, which has not only topped the Egyptian box office since its September release in Cairo, but is also Egypt’s official submission into the Best International Feature Oscar category for 2024.
“It was such a perfect vessel to tell this story about illegal immigration, which is a huge problem, the whole social issue of poverty and the lack of opportunity, which...
“They literally disappeared into thin air and it turned out they could all see,” Hilal said during a conversation about the movie at Deadline’s Contenders Film: International. “I was laughing and everyone in Egypt was laughing.”
Hilal decided to use the premise of this true-life event for his directorial debut Voy! Voy! Voy!, which has not only topped the Egyptian box office since its September release in Cairo, but is also Egypt’s official submission into the Best International Feature Oscar category for 2024.
“It was such a perfect vessel to tell this story about illegal immigration, which is a huge problem, the whole social issue of poverty and the lack of opportunity, which...
- 12/9/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Egyptian-Austrian director Abu Bakr Shawky, who in 2018 made a splash when his first feature “Yomeddine” had the rare distinction of making the competition cut for Cannes, is back on the festival circuit with Saudi-set adventure movie “Hajjan.”
Shawky’s big-budget epic follow-up, which launched from Toronto’s Discovery section, is now premiering regionally at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, where it screened Monday to roaring applause as an out-of-competition gala.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine” – which involved the desert voyage of a leper, a donkey and a child – “Hajjan” also involves a journey across the desert. This time, it’s embarked upon by a young orphan boy and his beloved camel. The beautifully shot film — produced by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egypt’s Mohamed Hefzy via his Film Clinic shingle — was made mostly in the sprawling area situated along Saudi...
Shawky’s big-budget epic follow-up, which launched from Toronto’s Discovery section, is now premiering regionally at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, where it screened Monday to roaring applause as an out-of-competition gala.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine” – which involved the desert voyage of a leper, a donkey and a child – “Hajjan” also involves a journey across the desert. This time, it’s embarked upon by a young orphan boy and his beloved camel. The beautifully shot film — produced by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egypt’s Mohamed Hefzy via his Film Clinic shingle — was made mostly in the sprawling area situated along Saudi...
- 12/6/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
International execs note the quality of projects on offer and growth potential of Saudi industry
A significant number of international executives have beaten a path to the Red Sea International Film Festival’s market over the past week to explore opportunities in the rapidly growing Saudi film market.
The Souk took place for four busy days from December 2-5. All the major Saudi players were on the ground, firming up its reputation as the place to learn about the local industry and to strike up relationships.
Red Sea managing director Shivani Pandya Malhotra said industry accreditation was up by 10% on last year,...
A significant number of international executives have beaten a path to the Red Sea International Film Festival’s market over the past week to explore opportunities in the rapidly growing Saudi film market.
The Souk took place for four busy days from December 2-5. All the major Saudi players were on the ground, firming up its reputation as the place to learn about the local industry and to strike up relationships.
Red Sea managing director Shivani Pandya Malhotra said industry accreditation was up by 10% on last year,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Saudi-Egypt production world premiered at Toronto and is in Competition at Red Sea
Front Row has taken theatrical rights in Saudi Arabia to Abu Bakr Shawky’s coming of age adventure Hajjan.
It will be released in Saudi through Front Row’s distribution joint venture with exhibitor Muvi Cinemas. Set in the world of Bedouin camel racing, the Saudi-Egypt production world premiered at Toronto and is in Competition at Red Sea.
Hajjan is a follow up to the Egyptian Austrian writer-director’s 2018 Cannes Competition debut Yomeddine. It is produced by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) along with...
Front Row has taken theatrical rights in Saudi Arabia to Abu Bakr Shawky’s coming of age adventure Hajjan.
It will be released in Saudi through Front Row’s distribution joint venture with exhibitor Muvi Cinemas. Set in the world of Bedouin camel racing, the Saudi-Egypt production world premiered at Toronto and is in Competition at Red Sea.
Hajjan is a follow up to the Egyptian Austrian writer-director’s 2018 Cannes Competition debut Yomeddine. It is produced by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) along with...
- 12/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Some of the most powerful figures in Saudi film gathered at the Ritz Carlton in Jeddah for a cocktail party hosted by Film AlUla and Stampede Ventures in partnership with Variety last night. Figures such as Saudi producer and film industry pioneer Faisal Baltyuor and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy were spotted along with Zeinab Abu Alsamh, general manager of Mbc Studios Saudi Arabia.
Stampede Ventures head Greg Silverman was celebrating the $350 million three-year deal just signed with Film AlUla, which will bring 10 projects to the region. He told Variety: “As somebody who loves film, coming here and seeing films celebrated this way is excellent. We’ve been looking for a home for our slate of films and we’re so excited to have the possibility of working with AlUla. They have state-of-the-art studios and, for our talent, it’s an incredible place for them to be when they’re not on set.
Stampede Ventures head Greg Silverman was celebrating the $350 million three-year deal just signed with Film AlUla, which will bring 10 projects to the region. He told Variety: “As somebody who loves film, coming here and seeing films celebrated this way is excellent. We’ve been looking for a home for our slate of films and we’re so excited to have the possibility of working with AlUla. They have state-of-the-art studios and, for our talent, it’s an incredible place for them to be when they’re not on set.
- 12/4/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
The production had to abandon plans to film in Palestine after the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war.
Saleh Bakri and Adam Bakri are to star in All That’s Left Of You, the upcoming drama from Palestinian-American filmmaker Cherien Dabis.
Salah is known for Cannes award-winner The Blue Caftan and recent Toronto title The Teacher, which plays in Competition at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival, while brother Adam made his feature debut in Hany Abu-Assad’s Oscar-nominated Omar, going on to star in Asif Kapadia’s Ali And Nino and award-winning Toronto 2022 title A Gaza Weekend.
Saleh Bakri and Adam Bakri are to star in All That’s Left Of You, the upcoming drama from Palestinian-American filmmaker Cherien Dabis.
Salah is known for Cannes award-winner The Blue Caftan and recent Toronto title The Teacher, which plays in Competition at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival, while brother Adam made his feature debut in Hany Abu-Assad’s Oscar-nominated Omar, going on to star in Asif Kapadia’s Ali And Nino and award-winning Toronto 2022 title A Gaza Weekend.
- 12/4/2023
- by Mona Sheded
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has boarded Saudi Arabian multi-hyphenate Fatima Al-Banawi’s feature film debut “Basma” which tackles the theme of mental illness in her country.
The groundbreaking film is set in Jeddah, the city on the Red Sea’s eastern shore where Saudi’s Red Sea Film Festival is currently underway.
Besides writing and directing “Basma,” Al Banawi – who has a psychology degree and also a masters in theological studies from Harvard – also stars as the 26-year-old daughter of a man who suffers from paranoid delusions. Upon returning from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, Basma tries to save him from his spiraling mental instability before being forced to leave her father again.
Al-Banawi’s first acting role was in Mahmoud Sabbagh’s groundbreaking 2016 comedy “Barakah Meets Barakah” that put her in the international spotlight after the film went to Berlin and was selected as Saudi’s international Oscar candidate.
“Basma,” which...
The groundbreaking film is set in Jeddah, the city on the Red Sea’s eastern shore where Saudi’s Red Sea Film Festival is currently underway.
Besides writing and directing “Basma,” Al Banawi – who has a psychology degree and also a masters in theological studies from Harvard – also stars as the 26-year-old daughter of a man who suffers from paranoid delusions. Upon returning from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, Basma tries to save him from his spiraling mental instability before being forced to leave her father again.
Al-Banawi’s first acting role was in Mahmoud Sabbagh’s groundbreaking 2016 comedy “Barakah Meets Barakah” that put her in the international spotlight after the film went to Berlin and was selected as Saudi’s international Oscar candidate.
“Basma,” which...
- 12/2/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic has boarded the production.
Seeking Haven For Mr. Rambo, the debut feature of Egyptian filmmaker Khaled Mansour, is set to wrap shooting in Cairo this month.
The drama about a man who goes on a journey to save his dog and best friend, Rambo, was selected for the Red Sea Lodge development programme in 2021 and received a production grant from the Red Sea Fund earlier this year.
Written by Mansour and by Mohamed El-Hosseiny, it is produced by Rasha Hosny. Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic has boarded the production and will distribute in Mena territories through Film Clinic Indie Distribution,...
Seeking Haven For Mr. Rambo, the debut feature of Egyptian filmmaker Khaled Mansour, is set to wrap shooting in Cairo this month.
The drama about a man who goes on a journey to save his dog and best friend, Rambo, was selected for the Red Sea Lodge development programme in 2021 and received a production grant from the Red Sea Fund earlier this year.
Written by Mansour and by Mohamed El-Hosseiny, it is produced by Rasha Hosny. Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic has boarded the production and will distribute in Mena territories through Film Clinic Indie Distribution,...
- 12/2/2023
- by Mona Sheded
- ScreenDaily
‘Motherhood’ is directed by Tunisa’s Meryam Joobeur while ‘Amnesia’ is by Palestine’s Dima Hamdam.
The sixth edition of the four-day Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech International Film Festival (Fifm) closed on Thursday (November 30) with the presentation of eight awards representing total cash prizes €126,000
The three prizes for films in post-production went to Meryam Joobeur’s Motherhood, Mo Harawe’s The Village Next To Paradise and Mia Bendrimia’s The Magma.
Motherhood is the anticipated feature debut of Oscar-nominated Tunisian-Canadian filmmaker Joobeur and is produced by Sarra Ben Hassen of Tunisia’s Instinct Blue.
Somalian filmmaker Harawe’s The...
The sixth edition of the four-day Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech International Film Festival (Fifm) closed on Thursday (November 30) with the presentation of eight awards representing total cash prizes €126,000
The three prizes for films in post-production went to Meryam Joobeur’s Motherhood, Mo Harawe’s The Village Next To Paradise and Mia Bendrimia’s The Magma.
Motherhood is the anticipated feature debut of Oscar-nominated Tunisian-Canadian filmmaker Joobeur and is produced by Sarra Ben Hassen of Tunisia’s Instinct Blue.
Somalian filmmaker Harawe’s The...
- 12/1/2023
- by E. Nina Rothe
- ScreenDaily
‘Motherhood’ is directed by Tunisa’s Meryam Joobeur while ‘Amnesia’ is by Palestine’s Dima Hamdam.
The sixth edition of the four-day Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech International Film Festival (Fifm) closed on Thursday (November 30) with the presentation of eight awards representing total cash prizes €126,000
The three prizes for films in post-production went to Meryam Joobeur’s Motherhood, Mo Harawe’s The Village Next To Paradise and Mia Bendrimia’s The Magma.
Motherhood is the anticipated feature debut of Oscar-nominated Tunisian-Canadian filmmaker Joobeur and is produced by Sarra Ben Hassen of Tunisia’s Instinct Blue.
Somalian filmmaker Harawe’s The...
The sixth edition of the four-day Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech International Film Festival (Fifm) closed on Thursday (November 30) with the presentation of eight awards representing total cash prizes €126,000
The three prizes for films in post-production went to Meryam Joobeur’s Motherhood, Mo Harawe’s The Village Next To Paradise and Mia Bendrimia’s The Magma.
Motherhood is the anticipated feature debut of Oscar-nominated Tunisian-Canadian filmmaker Joobeur and is produced by Sarra Ben Hassen of Tunisia’s Instinct Blue.
Somalian filmmaker Harawe’s The...
- 12/1/2023
- by E. Nina Rothe
- ScreenDaily
Film Clinic is set to dominate the lineup of the highly anticipated third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival — which is scheduled to run from Nov 30, 2023 – Sat, Dec 9, 2023 — with the prolific production and distribution shingle boasting four of its titles in the festival. Coming in first in Arab Spectacular section titles Hajjan and Four Daughters. In Competition — Backstage and showcasing in the Festival Favourites section — Animalia.
Hajjan
Abu Bakr Shawky's latest Hajjan, produced by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) & Film Clinic. It had its World Premiere in the Toronto International Film Festival.– It is also produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Majed Zuhair Samman, co-produced by The
Imaginarium Films' Rula Nasser, and distributed by Film Clinic Indie Distribution in the Arab world while Film Constellation has the
worldwide rights. It revolves around brothers Matar and Ghanim, who live in the endless desert of Saudi Arabia.
Hajjan
Abu Bakr Shawky's latest Hajjan, produced by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) & Film Clinic. It had its World Premiere in the Toronto International Film Festival.– It is also produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Majed Zuhair Samman, co-produced by The
Imaginarium Films' Rula Nasser, and distributed by Film Clinic Indie Distribution in the Arab world while Film Constellation has the
worldwide rights. It revolves around brothers Matar and Ghanim, who live in the endless desert of Saudi Arabia.
- 11/12/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Egypt has selected Omar Hilal’s comedy Voy! Voy! Voy! as its candidate for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Oscars.
Producers Vox Studios, Film Clinic and Image Nation Abu Dhabi announced the selection at the film’s glitzy UAE premiere ahead of its theatrical release across the Gulf on September 21.
Inspired by true events, Voy! Voy! Voy! tells the story of Hassan, a security guard living an impoverished life with his mother who dreams of traveling and living abroad.
One day, he stumbles on the sport of blind football and cunningly decides to pose as a visually impaired man to join a team close to playing a World Cup tournament in Europe. On this journey, he crosses paths with several characters including a rising female journalist following the team and a middle aged coach.
The ensemble cast is led by Mohamed Farrag and also features Bayoumi Fouad, Taha Desouki,...
Producers Vox Studios, Film Clinic and Image Nation Abu Dhabi announced the selection at the film’s glitzy UAE premiere ahead of its theatrical release across the Gulf on September 21.
Inspired by true events, Voy! Voy! Voy! tells the story of Hassan, a security guard living an impoverished life with his mother who dreams of traveling and living abroad.
One day, he stumbles on the sport of blind football and cunningly decides to pose as a visually impaired man to join a team close to playing a World Cup tournament in Europe. On this journey, he crosses paths with several characters including a rising female journalist following the team and a middle aged coach.
The ensemble cast is led by Mohamed Farrag and also features Bayoumi Fouad, Taha Desouki,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
London and Paris-based Film Constellation has taken international sales on Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky’s hotly anticipated Saudi-set adventure movie “Hajjan,” ahead of its Toronto Film Festival world premiere.
“Hajjan,” which will launch from Toronto’s Discovery section, is a followup to Shawky’s first feature “Yomeddine,” which had the rare distinction of making the competition cut for Cannes.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine” – which involved the desert voyage of a leper, a donkey, and a child – “Hajjan” also involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a young orphan boy and his beloved camel. The big-budget film, which was shot mostly in the sprawling area situated along Saudi’s Red Sea coast in Tabuk, in the northwest of the kingdom, is about a young boy named Matar who, after the death of his brother on the camel race track, tries to avenge his death. To do...
“Hajjan,” which will launch from Toronto’s Discovery section, is a followup to Shawky’s first feature “Yomeddine,” which had the rare distinction of making the competition cut for Cannes.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine” – which involved the desert voyage of a leper, a donkey, and a child – “Hajjan” also involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a young orphan boy and his beloved camel. The big-budget film, which was shot mostly in the sprawling area situated along Saudi’s Red Sea coast in Tabuk, in the northwest of the kingdom, is about a young boy named Matar who, after the death of his brother on the camel race track, tries to avenge his death. To do...
- 9/8/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Leading Egyptian independent production company Film Clinic is gearing up for the shoot of The Inevitable Journey Of Finding The Wedding Dress by Jaylan Auf.
Yasmin Raeis (Looking for Oum Kulthum) and newcomer Asma Galal co-star as a bride-to-be and her best friend who embark on a mad dash across Cairo in search of a wedding dress after a mishap with the original gown on the eve of the ceremony.
“It’s a social drama about two best friends from a low-income neighborhood,” says Film Clinic founder and head Mohamed Hefzy. “The city is very much part of the story and a character in the film.”
Auf previously worked as assistant director on Egyptian features such as Excuse My French, Décor and The Cat Mouse, while her short film Turning Ten played in Competition at the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2019.
“We’ve been trying to get...
Yasmin Raeis (Looking for Oum Kulthum) and newcomer Asma Galal co-star as a bride-to-be and her best friend who embark on a mad dash across Cairo in search of a wedding dress after a mishap with the original gown on the eve of the ceremony.
“It’s a social drama about two best friends from a low-income neighborhood,” says Film Clinic founder and head Mohamed Hefzy. “The city is very much part of the story and a character in the film.”
Auf previously worked as assistant director on Egyptian features such as Excuse My French, Décor and The Cat Mouse, while her short film Turning Ten played in Competition at the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2019.
“We’ve been trying to get...
- 5/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Initiative aims to commission and fund up to five films annually.
Saudi outfit Ithra Film Production has launched a new funding initiative to encourage international filmmakers to collaborate with the region and advance its fast-growing film industry.
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, aims to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed and projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
An open call for submissions will run until August 4 and projects will be selected by a panel of Arab filmmakers, the names of which have yet to be revealed.
Saudi outfit Ithra Film Production has launched a new funding initiative to encourage international filmmakers to collaborate with the region and advance its fast-growing film industry.
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, aims to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed and projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
An open call for submissions will run until August 4 and projects will be selected by a panel of Arab filmmakers, the names of which have yet to be revealed.
- 5/22/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
In a mission towards enriching the film industry through development, production, and distribution at the Arab and regional levels; The Board of Directors of Film Clinic Holding — a leading corporation in all facets of artistic and cinematic production in the Arab world founded by renowned screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy and director Amr Salama along with Ergo Media Ventures, a subsidiary of Ayady for Investment and Development — recently convened its first board meeting to discuss the company's institutional transformation plans.
The Board of Directors is presided by Eng. Usama El-Sheikh; Former chief of the state's TV and radio. The formation of the Board of Directors took into consideration the inclusion of the finest specialists in all technological, production, managerial, and legal aspects; working in the areas of media, creative, and digital production. A combination that aims to achieve the company's vision in reaching excellence in film and TV production in...
The Board of Directors is presided by Eng. Usama El-Sheikh; Former chief of the state's TV and radio. The formation of the Board of Directors took into consideration the inclusion of the finest specialists in all technological, production, managerial, and legal aspects; working in the areas of media, creative, and digital production. A combination that aims to achieve the company's vision in reaching excellence in film and TV production in...
- 3/23/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Hampton gave updates on ‘Heart of A Soldier’, ‘White Chameleon’ and ‘Dalila’.
Stephen Frears’ Billy Wilder And Me is looking at a 2024 shoot due to other commitments from cast and crew, according to writer Christopher Hampton.
Speaking to Screen in Doha, Qatar, where he is a master at the Qumra incubator, Hampton said, “We’re in a good space because Stephen Frears is going to direct it, and Christoph Waltz is going to be playing Billy Wilder.”
He said didn’t believe that a shoot this year would be possible, with next year looking most likely.
First announced by Screen in May last year,...
Stephen Frears’ Billy Wilder And Me is looking at a 2024 shoot due to other commitments from cast and crew, according to writer Christopher Hampton.
Speaking to Screen in Doha, Qatar, where he is a master at the Qumra incubator, Hampton said, “We’re in a good space because Stephen Frears is going to direct it, and Christoph Waltz is going to be playing Billy Wilder.”
He said didn’t believe that a shoot this year would be possible, with next year looking most likely.
First announced by Screen in May last year,...
- 3/13/2023
- by E. Nina Rothe
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-winning writer Christopher Hampton is in talks to write a screenplay with French director Anne Fontaine about iconic feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Nelson Algren’s transatlantic affair.
The playwright and screenwriter, who has won Oscars for The Father (2021) and Dangerous Liaisons (1989) and was also nominated for Atonement (2008), revealed he was in the early stages of the project during a masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event on Monday.
“We had an initial discussion followed by a more detailed discussion a week ago. I really want to do it,” he told Deadline in an interview after the talk.
De Beauvoir and Algren met in Chicago in 1947 and immediately embarked on a passionate affair that endured for more than 20 years in spite of the complications of transatlantic travel and communication at the time.
Paris-based intellectual de Beauvoir was in the midst of completing her seminal...
The playwright and screenwriter, who has won Oscars for The Father (2021) and Dangerous Liaisons (1989) and was also nominated for Atonement (2008), revealed he was in the early stages of the project during a masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event on Monday.
“We had an initial discussion followed by a more detailed discussion a week ago. I really want to do it,” he told Deadline in an interview after the talk.
De Beauvoir and Algren met in Chicago in 1947 and immediately embarked on a passionate affair that endured for more than 20 years in spite of the complications of transatlantic travel and communication at the time.
Paris-based intellectual de Beauvoir was in the midst of completing her seminal...
- 3/13/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky, whose first feature “Yomeddine” had the rare distinction of making the competition cut for Cannes, has completed his followup, the Saudi-set travel movie “Hajjan” which is expected to soon surface on the festival circuit.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine,” which made a splash in 2018, the hotly anticipated “Hajjan” involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a boy and his camel. The big-budget film, which was shot mostly in the sprawling area situated along Saudi’s Red Sea coast in Tabuk – in the northwest of the kingdom – is about a young boy named Matar who, after the death of his brother on the camel race track, tries to avenge his death. To do so he becomes a camel jockey, only to find himself entangled in a battle for his own freedom.
“At its heart, ‘Hajjan” is an adventure [film] that captures the deep connection...
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine,” which made a splash in 2018, the hotly anticipated “Hajjan” involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a boy and his camel. The big-budget film, which was shot mostly in the sprawling area situated along Saudi’s Red Sea coast in Tabuk – in the northwest of the kingdom – is about a young boy named Matar who, after the death of his brother on the camel race track, tries to avenge his death. To do so he becomes a camel jockey, only to find himself entangled in a battle for his own freedom.
“At its heart, ‘Hajjan” is an adventure [film] that captures the deep connection...
- 2/20/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance standout film “Animalia,” by French-Moroccan filmmaker Sofia Alaoui, has been acquired for distribution across the Middle East and North Africa by Egypt’s Film Clinic, the shingle headed by producer Mohamed Hefzy.
Film Clinic, a top film and TV production company that branched out into theatrical distribution in 2016, picked up “Animalia” from Paris-based sales company Totem Films.
Alaoui’s genre-bending pic is the tale of a pregnant young woman in Morocco whose life is upended by an alien invasion. In her review, Variety review critic Jessica Kiang praised “Animalia” as “a compellingly different cultural and social perspective on a classic sci-fi premise.” “Alaoui, working from her own taut, confidently ambiguous script, also gets to comment on the position of women in Muslim societies and the limits of wealth and organized faith, as well as elegantly outlining the eerie experience that is suddenly finding yourself startlingly alone during a time of shared global panic,...
Film Clinic, a top film and TV production company that branched out into theatrical distribution in 2016, picked up “Animalia” from Paris-based sales company Totem Films.
Alaoui’s genre-bending pic is the tale of a pregnant young woman in Morocco whose life is upended by an alien invasion. In her review, Variety review critic Jessica Kiang praised “Animalia” as “a compellingly different cultural and social perspective on a classic sci-fi premise.” “Alaoui, working from her own taut, confidently ambiguous script, also gets to comment on the position of women in Muslim societies and the limits of wealth and organized faith, as well as elegantly outlining the eerie experience that is suddenly finding yourself startlingly alone during a time of shared global panic,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The closing film of the 2nd edition of the Red Sea Film Festival was Khalid Fahad’s debut feature “Valley Road,” which was majority funded by the Ithra Cultural Center – the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, which has become one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest film producers.
The comedy adventure is about a young mute boy, Ali, who lives in a remote Saudi village, with his stern father and doting elder sister Siham, who is studying in a nearby city.
His father takes him on a trip through their picturesque mountain valley, seeking to get him “cured” by the local doctor. But Alia gets lost on the way and embarks on a series of misadventures, amplified by his vivid imagination.
The family is distraught to locate their missing son, and his sister Siham urgently looks for clues as to his whereabouts.
As the characters evolve during the story, it...
The comedy adventure is about a young mute boy, Ali, who lives in a remote Saudi village, with his stern father and doting elder sister Siham, who is studying in a nearby city.
His father takes him on a trip through their picturesque mountain valley, seeking to get him “cured” by the local doctor. But Alia gets lost on the way and embarks on a series of misadventures, amplified by his vivid imagination.
The family is distraught to locate their missing son, and his sister Siham urgently looks for clues as to his whereabouts.
As the characters evolve during the story, it...
- 12/9/2022
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky, whose first film “Yomeddine” – about a man raised in a leper colony, who embarks with a young sidekick and a donkey on a journey across Egypt – had the rare distinction of making the competition cut for Cannes, is back behind the camera on the ambitious Saudi-set travel movie “Sea of Sands.”
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine,” which made a splash on the fest circuit in 2018, “Sea of Sands” involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a boy and his camel.
“Camels are very much part of the heritage of Saudi culture,” said Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, who noted that in the “Sea of Sands” storyline the boy in question “is kind of inadvertently thrown into the world of camel racing. “It was never really his intention to become a championship jockey,” Hefzy went on to note. “But somehow, he has to do that to survive.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine,” which made a splash on the fest circuit in 2018, “Sea of Sands” involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a boy and his camel.
“Camels are very much part of the heritage of Saudi culture,” said Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, who noted that in the “Sea of Sands” storyline the boy in question “is kind of inadvertently thrown into the world of camel racing. “It was never really his intention to become a championship jockey,” Hefzy went on to note. “But somehow, he has to do that to survive.
- 12/6/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Saudi Arabia is taking vital steps to becoming a leading production force within the Arab region, agreed industry experts speaking at a panel on the topic of international co-production strategies for independent and commercial projects held at the Red Sea 360°.
The Red Sea 360°, co-organized by Winston Baker, is a four-day industry event at the heart of the Red Sea Souk, the market arm of the Red Sea Film Festival. The event hosts a series of talks on the entertainment industry, finance and innovation, and is set to welcome over 50 panellists from all over the world for its 2022 edition.
“We are talking about 350 million who speak the same language, despite different dialects and mindsets, so it’s a huge audience. It’s also a very young population. There is a huge portion of people who are very eager to consume content,” said producer and founder of Egypt’s Film Clinic Mohamed Hefzy.
The Red Sea 360°, co-organized by Winston Baker, is a four-day industry event at the heart of the Red Sea Souk, the market arm of the Red Sea Film Festival. The event hosts a series of talks on the entertainment industry, finance and innovation, and is set to welcome over 50 panellists from all over the world for its 2022 edition.
“We are talking about 350 million who speak the same language, despite different dialects and mindsets, so it’s a huge audience. It’s also a very young population. There is a huge portion of people who are very eager to consume content,” said producer and founder of Egypt’s Film Clinic Mohamed Hefzy.
- 12/5/2022
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Vox Cinemas, the largest exhibitor across the Middle East, has used the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia to underline a major push into Arabic features, unveiling its debut slate of local original movies.
The lineup includes titles from new and established filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Lebanon and is part of Vox’s previously announced pledge to produce 25 Arabic films over five years.
Among the features are Hwjn, the adaptation of a best-selling Saudi fantasy romance novel and latest collaboration from Vox, Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Mbc Studios, the three having signed a deal back in 2019. The three entities have also joined forces on King of the Ring, a Saudi remake of the South Korean comedy-drama hit The Foul King, which will be screening during the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Meanwhile, Voy! Voy! Voy! marks the directorial...
Vox Cinemas, the largest exhibitor across the Middle East, has used the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia to underline a major push into Arabic features, unveiling its debut slate of local original movies.
The lineup includes titles from new and established filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Lebanon and is part of Vox’s previously announced pledge to produce 25 Arabic films over five years.
Among the features are Hwjn, the adaptation of a best-selling Saudi fantasy romance novel and latest collaboration from Vox, Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Mbc Studios, the three having signed a deal back in 2019. The three entities have also joined forces on King of the Ring, a Saudi remake of the South Korean comedy-drama hit The Foul King, which will be screening during the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Meanwhile, Voy! Voy! Voy! marks the directorial...
- 12/2/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Top Middle East exhibitor Vox Cinemas, which is also active in distribution and production, is ramping up its investment in producing Arabic feature films and unveiling its first full-fledged slate of local original movies at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival.
Vox’s Arabic line-up caters to local market demands by providing commercially viable works in a range of different genres, directed both by Arab newcomers and known names and starring top talents such as Egyptian star Nelly Karim (pictured) who is on the Red Sea fest’s main jury.
Karim is co-starring with popular actors Mohamed Farrag and Bayoumi Fouad (“A Stand Worthy of Men”) in the ensemble dramedy “Voy! Voy! Voy!” that is being launched and teased at the fest today with a press conference and sneak peak footage.
“Voy! Voy! Voy!” marks the directorial debut of hotshot Egyptian commercials director Omar Hilal. Vox is producing the...
Vox’s Arabic line-up caters to local market demands by providing commercially viable works in a range of different genres, directed both by Arab newcomers and known names and starring top talents such as Egyptian star Nelly Karim (pictured) who is on the Red Sea fest’s main jury.
Karim is co-starring with popular actors Mohamed Farrag and Bayoumi Fouad (“A Stand Worthy of Men”) in the ensemble dramedy “Voy! Voy! Voy!” that is being launched and teased at the fest today with a press conference and sneak peak footage.
“Voy! Voy! Voy!” marks the directorial debut of hotshot Egyptian commercials director Omar Hilal. Vox is producing the...
- 12/2/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The fifth edition of the Cairo Film Festival’s industry arm, Cairo Industry Days, will look to further cement its growing reputation as one of the Arab film world’s premier industry platforms when it runs from Nov. 17 – 22.
Launched by former festival president Mohamed Hefzy, the Egyptian producer who stepped down from his post earlier this year, the event has quickly taken a place alongside the Marrakech Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops and the Red Sea Film Festival’s Souk as key meeting points connecting Arab and international filmmakers.
“It’s both challenging but also exciting,” said newly appointed industry head Reem Allam, about taking up her post along with incoming festival director Amir Ramses and new Cairo Film Connection manager Lynda Belkhiria. “We’re not bound by traditional ways of doing things. There’s some freedom in that.”
This year’s event will include a wide-ranging program of masterclasses,...
Launched by former festival president Mohamed Hefzy, the Egyptian producer who stepped down from his post earlier this year, the event has quickly taken a place alongside the Marrakech Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops and the Red Sea Film Festival’s Souk as key meeting points connecting Arab and international filmmakers.
“It’s both challenging but also exciting,” said newly appointed industry head Reem Allam, about taking up her post along with incoming festival director Amir Ramses and new Cairo Film Connection manager Lynda Belkhiria. “We’re not bound by traditional ways of doing things. There’s some freedom in that.”
This year’s event will include a wide-ranging program of masterclasses,...
- 11/14/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The Cairo Intl. Film Festival kicked off Nov. 13 with the Middle East premiere of Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” and a new-look leadership team bringing fresh energy to the grande dame of Arab cinema.
This year’s event marks the first as festival director for Egyptian filmmaker Amir Ramses, who was appointed earlier this year, as well as industry head Reem Allam.
Ramses was tapped just weeks after Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy stepped down as festival president, after a four-year tenure in which he helped to revamp the long-running event.
Hefzy was particularly instrumental in expanding the fest’s international reach, bolstering ties with counterparts overseas, and launching an industry component that has quickly established itself as one of the leading platforms for filmmakers from the region.
The festival’s 44th edition, which runs until Nov. 22, unspools amid a crowded fall calendar of Arab fests, running parallel to Marrakech (Nov.
This year’s event marks the first as festival director for Egyptian filmmaker Amir Ramses, who was appointed earlier this year, as well as industry head Reem Allam.
Ramses was tapped just weeks after Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy stepped down as festival president, after a four-year tenure in which he helped to revamp the long-running event.
Hefzy was particularly instrumental in expanding the fest’s international reach, bolstering ties with counterparts overseas, and launching an industry component that has quickly established itself as one of the leading platforms for filmmakers from the region.
The festival’s 44th edition, which runs until Nov. 22, unspools amid a crowded fall calendar of Arab fests, running parallel to Marrakech (Nov.
- 11/14/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian filmmaker Amir Ramses is no stranger to the Cairo Intl. Film Festival. The director’s feature debut, “End of the World,” bowed at the prestigious Arab fest in 2005, and he returned 15 years later with “The Curfew,” bookending a chapter of his career in which the prolific filmmaker garnered worldwide acclaim.
But for the Cairo-born Ramses, who was appointed festival director earlier this year, the homecoming is a return to his roots in more ways than one. It was at the long-running festival that Ramses “was introduced to the many worlds of cinema,” and accepting the position of festival chief “was a way to give back and pay my respect to an institution that made me the filmmaker I am today,” the director told Variety.
It’s a transition year for the Cairo Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 13 – 22. Ramses was appointed just weeks after Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy stepped down as festival president,...
But for the Cairo-born Ramses, who was appointed festival director earlier this year, the homecoming is a return to his roots in more ways than one. It was at the long-running festival that Ramses “was introduced to the many worlds of cinema,” and accepting the position of festival chief “was a way to give back and pay my respect to an institution that made me the filmmaker I am today,” the director told Variety.
It’s a transition year for the Cairo Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 13 – 22. Ramses was appointed just weeks after Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy stepped down as festival president,...
- 11/13/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian helmer-writer Ahmad Abdalla, known for being part of the new wave of independent cinema in the Arab world with his early films “Heliopolis” (2009) and “Microphone” (2010), returns to the Cairo Film Festival with the world premiere of his sixth feature, “19B.” It marks the sole film from the host country in the International Competition lineup.
The multi-layered narrative centers on the elderly caretaker of an abandoned Cairo villa known as 19B. The owners have been absent for so long that no one even knows how to contact them, and the building is falling apart. Nevertheless, the caretaker is happy with his jerry-rigged life there, sharing the space with abandoned dogs and cats, and drinking tea with the doorman of a high-rise down the block. But things change when the old man is bullied and threatened by the aggressive ex-con Nasr, the leader of a street gang.
Talking to Variety from...
The multi-layered narrative centers on the elderly caretaker of an abandoned Cairo villa known as 19B. The owners have been absent for so long that no one even knows how to contact them, and the building is falling apart. Nevertheless, the caretaker is happy with his jerry-rigged life there, sharing the space with abandoned dogs and cats, and drinking tea with the doorman of a high-rise down the block. But things change when the old man is bullied and threatened by the aggressive ex-con Nasr, the leader of a street gang.
Talking to Variety from...
- 11/11/2022
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age drama The Fabelmans has been announced as the opening film of 44th Cairo International Film Festival, running from November 13 to 22.
This year’s edition of the historic Egyptian festival will unfold under the direction of a new management team following the departure of former head Mohamed Hefzy in March.
Veteran actor Hussein Fahmy returns as president at the festival, a role he held in the past, while respected Egyptian film programmer Amir Ramses has taken up the baton of artistic director.
This year’s main International Competition features Ahmad Abdalla’s 19B (Egypt), Firas Khoury’s Alam (Palestine), Nicolas’s Giraud’s The Astronaut (France), Pierre Földes’s Blind Willow Sleeping Woman (France), Damian Kocur’s Bread And Salt (Poland), Maksym Nakonechnyi’s Butterfly Vision (Ukraine), Ali Cherri’s The Dam, Ivan Löwenberg’s I Don’t Want To Be Dust (Mexico), Ridha Behi...
This year’s edition of the historic Egyptian festival will unfold under the direction of a new management team following the departure of former head Mohamed Hefzy in March.
Veteran actor Hussein Fahmy returns as president at the festival, a role he held in the past, while respected Egyptian film programmer Amir Ramses has taken up the baton of artistic director.
This year’s main International Competition features Ahmad Abdalla’s 19B (Egypt), Firas Khoury’s Alam (Palestine), Nicolas’s Giraud’s The Astronaut (France), Pierre Földes’s Blind Willow Sleeping Woman (France), Damian Kocur’s Bread And Salt (Poland), Maksym Nakonechnyi’s Butterfly Vision (Ukraine), Ali Cherri’s The Dam, Ivan Löwenberg’s I Don’t Want To Be Dust (Mexico), Ridha Behi...
- 10/18/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” will open the 44th edition of the Cairo Film Festival, the Arab world’s venerable cinematic showcase, which takes place Nov. 13 – 22.
The Oscar-winning director’s semi-autobiographical film, which follows the formative years of a young man who discovers movies as a means to help him see the truth about others and himself, earned a standing ovation following its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
This year’s event in the Egyptian capital, which takes place as most film festivals and industry events have returned to business as usual after two years of pandemic cancellations and disruptions, nevertheless unfolds against a backdrop of global uncertainty.
Festival president Hussein Fahmy conjured the specter of war in Ukraine as he described a “year of ambitions and challenges” in a statement, posing the questions: “Where do we go from here? How can the festival take new steps, in particular,...
The Oscar-winning director’s semi-autobiographical film, which follows the formative years of a young man who discovers movies as a means to help him see the truth about others and himself, earned a standing ovation following its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
This year’s event in the Egyptian capital, which takes place as most film festivals and industry events have returned to business as usual after two years of pandemic cancellations and disruptions, nevertheless unfolds against a backdrop of global uncertainty.
Festival president Hussein Fahmy conjured the specter of war in Ukraine as he described a “year of ambitions and challenges” in a statement, posing the questions: “Where do we go from here? How can the festival take new steps, in particular,...
- 10/18/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Japanese director Naomi Kawase will preside over the international jury of the 44th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, running November 13 to 22.
The Cannes regular was the youngest person to receive its Camera d’Or for Suzaku in 1997 and has since screened six films in its competition including Radiance (2014) and 2007 Grand Jury Prize winner The Mourning Forest.
This year’s edition of Ciff sees the return of veteran actor Hussein Fahmy in the role of president at the festival, following the departure of former head Mohamed Hefzy in March.
Incoming artistic director Amir Ramses will also present his inaugural selection.
“The presence of a cinematic talent Naomi Kawase, as head of the international competition jury is a continuation of the successful tradition established by Ciff over the years to invite the world’s leading filmmakers to this position,” said Ramses.
He added that he hoped that Kawase’s attendance...
The Cannes regular was the youngest person to receive its Camera d’Or for Suzaku in 1997 and has since screened six films in its competition including Radiance (2014) and 2007 Grand Jury Prize winner The Mourning Forest.
This year’s edition of Ciff sees the return of veteran actor Hussein Fahmy in the role of president at the festival, following the departure of former head Mohamed Hefzy in March.
Incoming artistic director Amir Ramses will also present his inaugural selection.
“The presence of a cinematic talent Naomi Kawase, as head of the international competition jury is a continuation of the successful tradition established by Ciff over the years to invite the world’s leading filmmakers to this position,” said Ramses.
He added that he hoped that Kawase’s attendance...
- 10/12/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Egyptian director Omar El Zohairy’s absurdist social satire “Feathers,” in which the good-for-nothing husband of a woman with three children is turned into a chicken, is the big winner of the sixth edition of the Critics’ Awards for Arab Films.
The biting black comedy, winner of last year’s Cannes Critics’ Week prize, scooped best film, director and screenplay at the prizes organized by Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc) and voted on by 167 film critics from 68 countries, who viewed the films on Festival Scope.
Nominees are chosen among Arab-language films that premiered on the festival circuit outside of the Arab world in 2021. The awards were announced on Sunday in Cannes.
“Feathers,” which took six years to get to the big screen, was produced by Juliette Lepoutre from Still Moving (France), in co-production with Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic (Egypt), Shahinaz Al Akkad from Lagoonie Film (Egypt), Derk-Jan Warrink and...
The biting black comedy, winner of last year’s Cannes Critics’ Week prize, scooped best film, director and screenplay at the prizes organized by Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc) and voted on by 167 film critics from 68 countries, who viewed the films on Festival Scope.
Nominees are chosen among Arab-language films that premiered on the festival circuit outside of the Arab world in 2021. The awards were announced on Sunday in Cannes.
“Feathers,” which took six years to get to the big screen, was produced by Juliette Lepoutre from Still Moving (France), in co-production with Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic (Egypt), Shahinaz Al Akkad from Lagoonie Film (Egypt), Derk-Jan Warrink and...
- 5/22/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Saudi Arabian filmmaker, actress and activist Fatima Al-Banawi (“Barakah Meets Barakah”) is set to make her feature film directorial debut with “Basma,” a bold drama that will tackle the theme of mental illness in her country.
The pic, which she also wrote, is set to start shooting in Jeddah in October.
Besides writing and directing “Basma,” Al Banawi will be its titular star, playing the 26-year-old daughter of a man who suffers from paranoid delusions. Upon returning from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, Basma tries to save him from his spiraling mental instability before being forced to leave her father again.
“I like to work with family dynamics; human relations are something that really attracts me,” said Al-Banawi, who has a psychology degree and also a masters in theological studies from Harvard.
“My entire family are either theologists or psychologists. So there is a deep observation that comes out of that experience,...
The pic, which she also wrote, is set to start shooting in Jeddah in October.
Besides writing and directing “Basma,” Al Banawi will be its titular star, playing the 26-year-old daughter of a man who suffers from paranoid delusions. Upon returning from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, Basma tries to save him from his spiraling mental instability before being forced to leave her father again.
“I like to work with family dynamics; human relations are something that really attracts me,” said Al-Banawi, who has a psychology degree and also a masters in theological studies from Harvard.
“My entire family are either theologists or psychologists. So there is a deep observation that comes out of that experience,...
- 5/21/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Saudi-Egyptian co-production revolves around the special bond between a young Bedouin orphan and a camel.
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky, whose first feature Yomeddine enjoyed a buzzy Cannes launch in Competition in 2018, has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Sea Of Sands.
The feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amira and Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a young Bedouin orphan...
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky, whose first feature Yomeddine enjoyed a buzzy Cannes launch in Competition in 2018, has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Sea Of Sands.
The feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amira and Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a young Bedouin orphan...
- 5/20/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Saudi-Egyptian co-production revolves around the special bond between a young Bedouin orphan and a camel.
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky, whose first feature Yomeddine enjoyed a buzzy Cannes launch in Competition in 2018, has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Hajjan (previously titled Sea Of Sands).
The feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amira and Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a...
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky, whose first feature Yomeddine enjoyed a buzzy Cannes launch in Competition in 2018, has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Hajjan (previously titled Sea Of Sands).
The feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amira and Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a...
- 5/20/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Arab cinema is going from strength to strength with a run of really good, successful, films from across the region telling authentic and compelling stories that have captured the hearts and minds of global audiences. During Cannes, filmmakers from the region will come together on May 21 at 10 am at the Marina Stage in the Riviera to discuss the future of Arab cinema and discuss the opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed in order to build a robust industry that will elevate Arab cinema and command the attention it deserves.
This year there are nine films in the Festival Competition, Un Certain Regard, Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week plus four projects in L’Atelier. They are listed below.
Saudi Film Commission will host a Conference and a panel on the State of Arabia with Lotfy Nathan, producer, director, writer whose work in progress Harka won the US 30,000 award at the 2021 Red Sea Film Festival and is now premiering in Un Certain Regard. Also on the panel is Mohammed Hefzy, producer, writer and Aymebn Khoja, producer, director, writer and to be moderated by Liz Shackelton, Screen International Asia Editor
My Choices for Feature Film: ‘Europa’, Selected Documentary Film: ‘Republic Of Silence’, Selected Actor: Adam Ali, Selected Actress: Maisa Abd Elhadi, Selected Director: Ayten Amin, Selected Screenplay: Ayten Amin — Mahmoud Ezzat
Panelist #1 Lotfy Nathan is the recipient of The Red Sea Fund cash prize awarded in 2021 by the Red Sea Souk Jury. The Red Sea Souk Award grant of US 30,000 was presented for his film Harka aka Contra aka Before the Spring, a “simple, tragic parable” as described by Nathan, about Ali, a young Tunisian making a precarious living selling contraband gas as he faces an impending eviction and is forced to take care of his two younger sisters, who, in real life, precipitated the Arab Spring with his act of defiance demanding dignity. His choice became the symbol of a silenced generation trying to be heard. His film Harka is in Un Certain Regard in the Cannes Film Festival 2022! The international sales agent is Constellation.
Harka
Nathan is an American filmmaker of Egyptian descent. His first feature film, the documentary 12 O’Clock Boys, for which he received the HBO Emerging Artist Award, was selected in over 50 international festivals, including SXSW, Sundance LA, Lincoln Center, Viennale, Hot Docs, London and Copenhagen. It is distributed in the United States by Oscilloscope and has been purchased by Showtime and Amazon as well as being optioned by Will Smith’s company, Overbrook Entrertainement to adapt into a drama. In 2015, Lotfy was a recipient of the Creative Capital and participated in a Cinereach Foundation director’s residency. He had previously been a recipient of the Garrett Scott Fund, the Peter Reed Foundation, the Grainger Marburg Fund, and the IFP Fellowship. This, his first feature film, was developed in the Sundance Film Institute’s Screenwriting Lab in 2016 and is now in post-production.
The film’s producer Julie Viez started her career in the film industry at Warner Bros Emea (Europe Middle East Asia). She then focused on independent film production, working for companies such as Pan-Européenne, The Film, and CG Cinema. She works on an international scale and produces a wide range of budgets. In 2019 Julie shot La Salamandre , the debut feature of director Alex Carvalho which premiered at Venice’s Settimana in 2021. She is developing several ambitious features and series, among which the next features by Cannes-nominated directors Abu Bakr Shawky, Jonathan Littell, Morgan Simon, and Marie Monge.
The third partner are the producers of The Man Who Sold His Skin, Academy Award Nomination 2020 — see my previous blog on that film — whose director, Kaouther Ben Hania, is now President of the Jury for Critics Week.).
Panelist #2 is the prolific Egyptian screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy, with a constantly growing filmography of 30 feature films including worldwide acclaimed titles such as Huda’s Salon (2021) Feathers (2021), Souad (2021) You Will Die at Twenty (2019), Youmeddine (2018), and Clash (2016). He has served as a jury member in various international festivals including the 75th Venice International Film Festival. As of its 40th edition and for four consecutive years; Mohamed Hefzy was the appointed President of the Cairo International Film Festival.
In 2005, He founded Film Clinic; the now pioneer production house in the Mena region with a variety of commercial blockbusters and arthouse films that have participated in major film festivals worldwide including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca with more than 80 international awards under its belt. Later Hefzy founded Film Clinic Indie Distribution, with a mission to create opportunities for Arab independent films within and beyond festival circuits & Co- founded Meem Creative Circle which produced Netflix’s first Egyptian original series Paranormal.
Hefzy was cited among 30 future leaders in film production by Screen International, headed Variety’s list of Ten Names You Need to Know in the Arab Film Industry and was among Variety’s 500 list of the most influential people in the media industry worldwide. He was granted the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year award by the Hollywood Reporter & Arab Cinema Center. Hefzy is an official member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences in the producers’ branch. In recognition of his significant contribution to the Arab film scene, He was honored as a “Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres” from France.
Panelist #3 is Aymen Khoja, a film producer-director committed to bold voices and innovative forms to bridge cultures and to clear up any misunderstandings.
Over six years of experience producing and directing with international studios and production companies, such as Mbc Studios the biggest broadcaster in the Middle East and Viu, the No1 streaming platform east of Asia. Aymen has filmed in different cities all over the world from Los Angeles, Dubai, Abu-Dhabi, Bucharest, Cairo, to Jeddah. He successfully delivers high-quality films and series on time within budget.
In 2016 Aymen co-founded Khoja Brothers Productions and managed to fund, direct, co-produce, co-write his first feature film Shoot Aka The Arabian Warrior, and successfully released it theatrically then sold it to Sony Pictures, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple, and lastly Shahid. Aymen’s debut making ultra-low-budget films made him emphasize story quality, maximize creativity, and carefully spend every dollar.
Aymen received his Master’s degree in film with honors from the New York Film Academy, Los Angeles where he produced and directed many short films that have been played in different film festivals around the world. Aymen received his Bachelor’s in Business and Management from King Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia. This background helped him to be at the top of his organizing game, networking, and career growth.
Born and raised in the east of Saudi Arabia until the age of 11, Khoja then traveled back with his parents to the west, Makkah where he stayed until he was 23 when he traveled to the US to pursue his dream of making films. Aymen had the passion and drive to make movies in a time there were no theaters in his home country. Being a pioneer, he had to push and fight traditions to achieve what he believes is his mission in life: to bridge and close gaps between cultures through the form of cinema by telling the right stories.
Nine Mena Films to see in the Festival:
Cannes Ff Competition Leila’s Brothers directed by Saeed Roustayi from IranCannes Ff Competition Holy Spider directed by Iranian Ali Abbasi but funded by France, Germany, Sweden, DenmarkUn Certain Regard Harka directed by Lotfy Nathan from TunisiaUn Certain Regard The Blue Caftan directed by Maryam Touzani from MoroccoUn Certain Regard Mediterranean Fever directed by Maha Haj from PalestineUn Certain Regard Domingo And The Mist directed by Ariel Escalante from Costa Rica with support from QatarDirectors’ Fortnight Under the Fig Trees directed by Eriga Sehiri from TunisiaDirectors’ Fortnight Ashkal directed by Youssef Chebbi from TunisiaCritics’ Week in Competition Imagine directed by Ali Behrad from IranL’Atelier project: Hamlet From The Slums from Egypt, directed by Ahmed Fawzi SalehL’Atelier project: The Blind Ferryman from Iraq and Switzerland, directed by Ali Al-FatlawiL’Atelier project: You Are My Everything from Israel, directed by Michal VinikdL’Atelier project: The Doubt from Palestine and Israel, directed by Ihab Jadallah...
This year there are nine films in the Festival Competition, Un Certain Regard, Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week plus four projects in L’Atelier. They are listed below.
Saudi Film Commission will host a Conference and a panel on the State of Arabia with Lotfy Nathan, producer, director, writer whose work in progress Harka won the US 30,000 award at the 2021 Red Sea Film Festival and is now premiering in Un Certain Regard. Also on the panel is Mohammed Hefzy, producer, writer and Aymebn Khoja, producer, director, writer and to be moderated by Liz Shackelton, Screen International Asia Editor
My Choices for Feature Film: ‘Europa’, Selected Documentary Film: ‘Republic Of Silence’, Selected Actor: Adam Ali, Selected Actress: Maisa Abd Elhadi, Selected Director: Ayten Amin, Selected Screenplay: Ayten Amin — Mahmoud Ezzat
Panelist #1 Lotfy Nathan is the recipient of The Red Sea Fund cash prize awarded in 2021 by the Red Sea Souk Jury. The Red Sea Souk Award grant of US 30,000 was presented for his film Harka aka Contra aka Before the Spring, a “simple, tragic parable” as described by Nathan, about Ali, a young Tunisian making a precarious living selling contraband gas as he faces an impending eviction and is forced to take care of his two younger sisters, who, in real life, precipitated the Arab Spring with his act of defiance demanding dignity. His choice became the symbol of a silenced generation trying to be heard. His film Harka is in Un Certain Regard in the Cannes Film Festival 2022! The international sales agent is Constellation.
Harka
Nathan is an American filmmaker of Egyptian descent. His first feature film, the documentary 12 O’Clock Boys, for which he received the HBO Emerging Artist Award, was selected in over 50 international festivals, including SXSW, Sundance LA, Lincoln Center, Viennale, Hot Docs, London and Copenhagen. It is distributed in the United States by Oscilloscope and has been purchased by Showtime and Amazon as well as being optioned by Will Smith’s company, Overbrook Entrertainement to adapt into a drama. In 2015, Lotfy was a recipient of the Creative Capital and participated in a Cinereach Foundation director’s residency. He had previously been a recipient of the Garrett Scott Fund, the Peter Reed Foundation, the Grainger Marburg Fund, and the IFP Fellowship. This, his first feature film, was developed in the Sundance Film Institute’s Screenwriting Lab in 2016 and is now in post-production.
The film’s producer Julie Viez started her career in the film industry at Warner Bros Emea (Europe Middle East Asia). She then focused on independent film production, working for companies such as Pan-Européenne, The Film, and CG Cinema. She works on an international scale and produces a wide range of budgets. In 2019 Julie shot La Salamandre , the debut feature of director Alex Carvalho which premiered at Venice’s Settimana in 2021. She is developing several ambitious features and series, among which the next features by Cannes-nominated directors Abu Bakr Shawky, Jonathan Littell, Morgan Simon, and Marie Monge.
The third partner are the producers of The Man Who Sold His Skin, Academy Award Nomination 2020 — see my previous blog on that film — whose director, Kaouther Ben Hania, is now President of the Jury for Critics Week.).
Panelist #2 is the prolific Egyptian screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy, with a constantly growing filmography of 30 feature films including worldwide acclaimed titles such as Huda’s Salon (2021) Feathers (2021), Souad (2021) You Will Die at Twenty (2019), Youmeddine (2018), and Clash (2016). He has served as a jury member in various international festivals including the 75th Venice International Film Festival. As of its 40th edition and for four consecutive years; Mohamed Hefzy was the appointed President of the Cairo International Film Festival.
In 2005, He founded Film Clinic; the now pioneer production house in the Mena region with a variety of commercial blockbusters and arthouse films that have participated in major film festivals worldwide including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca with more than 80 international awards under its belt. Later Hefzy founded Film Clinic Indie Distribution, with a mission to create opportunities for Arab independent films within and beyond festival circuits & Co- founded Meem Creative Circle which produced Netflix’s first Egyptian original series Paranormal.
Hefzy was cited among 30 future leaders in film production by Screen International, headed Variety’s list of Ten Names You Need to Know in the Arab Film Industry and was among Variety’s 500 list of the most influential people in the media industry worldwide. He was granted the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year award by the Hollywood Reporter & Arab Cinema Center. Hefzy is an official member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences in the producers’ branch. In recognition of his significant contribution to the Arab film scene, He was honored as a “Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres” from France.
Panelist #3 is Aymen Khoja, a film producer-director committed to bold voices and innovative forms to bridge cultures and to clear up any misunderstandings.
Over six years of experience producing and directing with international studios and production companies, such as Mbc Studios the biggest broadcaster in the Middle East and Viu, the No1 streaming platform east of Asia. Aymen has filmed in different cities all over the world from Los Angeles, Dubai, Abu-Dhabi, Bucharest, Cairo, to Jeddah. He successfully delivers high-quality films and series on time within budget.
In 2016 Aymen co-founded Khoja Brothers Productions and managed to fund, direct, co-produce, co-write his first feature film Shoot Aka The Arabian Warrior, and successfully released it theatrically then sold it to Sony Pictures, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple, and lastly Shahid. Aymen’s debut making ultra-low-budget films made him emphasize story quality, maximize creativity, and carefully spend every dollar.
Aymen received his Master’s degree in film with honors from the New York Film Academy, Los Angeles where he produced and directed many short films that have been played in different film festivals around the world. Aymen received his Bachelor’s in Business and Management from King Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia. This background helped him to be at the top of his organizing game, networking, and career growth.
Born and raised in the east of Saudi Arabia until the age of 11, Khoja then traveled back with his parents to the west, Makkah where he stayed until he was 23 when he traveled to the US to pursue his dream of making films. Aymen had the passion and drive to make movies in a time there were no theaters in his home country. Being a pioneer, he had to push and fight traditions to achieve what he believes is his mission in life: to bridge and close gaps between cultures through the form of cinema by telling the right stories.
Nine Mena Films to see in the Festival:
Cannes Ff Competition Leila’s Brothers directed by Saeed Roustayi from IranCannes Ff Competition Holy Spider directed by Iranian Ali Abbasi but funded by France, Germany, Sweden, DenmarkUn Certain Regard Harka directed by Lotfy Nathan from TunisiaUn Certain Regard The Blue Caftan directed by Maryam Touzani from MoroccoUn Certain Regard Mediterranean Fever directed by Maha Haj from PalestineUn Certain Regard Domingo And The Mist directed by Ariel Escalante from Costa Rica with support from QatarDirectors’ Fortnight Under the Fig Trees directed by Eriga Sehiri from TunisiaDirectors’ Fortnight Ashkal directed by Youssef Chebbi from TunisiaCritics’ Week in Competition Imagine directed by Ali Behrad from IranL’Atelier project: Hamlet From The Slums from Egypt, directed by Ahmed Fawzi SalehL’Atelier project: The Blind Ferryman from Iraq and Switzerland, directed by Ali Al-FatlawiL’Atelier project: You Are My Everything from Israel, directed by Michal VinikdL’Atelier project: The Doubt from Palestine and Israel, directed by Ihab Jadallah...
- 5/8/2022
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
The festival is under new management following the departure of former Ciff president Mohamed Hefzy.
The Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has announced its 44th edition will run on the earlier dates of November 13-22, having unfolded towards the end of November in recent editions.
The announcement comes as veteran actor Hussein Fahmy and filmmaker and experienced programmer Amir Ramses take over the reins of the festival as president and director respectively, following the departure of former Ciff president Mohamed Hefzy.
The earlier dates will see Ciff clash with another major Middle East and North Africa event, Morocco’s Marrakech...
The Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has announced its 44th edition will run on the earlier dates of November 13-22, having unfolded towards the end of November in recent editions.
The announcement comes as veteran actor Hussein Fahmy and filmmaker and experienced programmer Amir Ramses take over the reins of the festival as president and director respectively, following the departure of former Ciff president Mohamed Hefzy.
The earlier dates will see Ciff clash with another major Middle East and North Africa event, Morocco’s Marrakech...
- 4/12/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Egyptian filmmaker Amir Ramses, who has tackled controversial social and political themes including pedophilia in works such as “Curfew” and the doc “Jews of Egypt,” has been appointed director of the Cairo Film Festival.
The news that Ramses will head Cairo, which is the grande dame of Arab film events, follows shortly after prominent producer Mohamed Hefzy stepped down as Cairo fest president earlier this month.
Hefzy was replaced as fest president by veteran Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy, 81, a local megastar, who is taking over the event’s presidency for the second time after a first term between 1998 to 2001.
Ramses, who was previously artistic director of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival between 2017 to 2021, is now expected to take on a broader role at Cairo extending beyond artistic director into a general manager position.
A graduate of Cairo’s Higher Institute of Cinema, Ramses cut his teeth as a film...
The news that Ramses will head Cairo, which is the grande dame of Arab film events, follows shortly after prominent producer Mohamed Hefzy stepped down as Cairo fest president earlier this month.
Hefzy was replaced as fest president by veteran Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy, 81, a local megastar, who is taking over the event’s presidency for the second time after a first term between 1998 to 2001.
Ramses, who was previously artistic director of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival between 2017 to 2021, is now expected to take on a broader role at Cairo extending beyond artistic director into a general manager position.
A graduate of Cairo’s Higher Institute of Cinema, Ramses cut his teeth as a film...
- 3/29/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian filmmaker was previously artistic director of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival.
Egyptian filmmaker Amir Ramses has been appointed director of the Cairo International Film (Ciff), as the event restructures its team following the departure of Mohamed Hefzy as president last week.
Ramses was appointed by incoming Ciff president Hussein Fahmy who returns to the role for a second time after a first term from 1998 to 2001.
Ramses was previously artistic director of the El Gouna Film Festival from 2017 to 2021.
A graduate of Cairo’s Higher Institute of Cinema in 2000, he cut his teeth as a filmmaker as an assistant to director Youssef Chahine.
Egyptian filmmaker Amir Ramses has been appointed director of the Cairo International Film (Ciff), as the event restructures its team following the departure of Mohamed Hefzy as president last week.
Ramses was appointed by incoming Ciff president Hussein Fahmy who returns to the role for a second time after a first term from 1998 to 2001.
Ramses was previously artistic director of the El Gouna Film Festival from 2017 to 2021.
A graduate of Cairo’s Higher Institute of Cinema in 2000, he cut his teeth as a filmmaker as an assistant to director Youssef Chahine.
- 3/28/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy is stepping down as president of the Cairo Film Festival. During his four-year tenure, the executive helped to revamp the prominent Arab fest, which had been losing luster due to political turbulence.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Egypt’s Minister of Culture, Enas Abdel Dayem, who said veteran Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy will take over the fest’s presidency.
Fahmy, who is 81, has starred in more than 100 Egyptian film, TV and theater productions. A UCLA graduate with some U.S. connections, Fahmy had previously headed the Cairo fest, which is the grande dame of Arab film events, between 1998 and 2001.
“I am proud to have spent the past four years as president of Cairo International Film Festival, working with a great team of talented individuals with the aim of lifting the festival towards bigger local, regional and international recognition and for being a platform to...
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Egypt’s Minister of Culture, Enas Abdel Dayem, who said veteran Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy will take over the fest’s presidency.
Fahmy, who is 81, has starred in more than 100 Egyptian film, TV and theater productions. A UCLA graduate with some U.S. connections, Fahmy had previously headed the Cairo fest, which is the grande dame of Arab film events, between 1998 and 2001.
“I am proud to have spent the past four years as president of Cairo International Film Festival, working with a great team of talented individuals with the aim of lifting the festival towards bigger local, regional and international recognition and for being a platform to...
- 3/15/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
12 upcoming films from the Middle East and North Africa will be supported by project and talent incubator.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has unveiled the 12 projects selected for this year’s edition of its Red Sea Lodge project and talent development programme.
Of the 12 projects selected, six are from Saudi Arabia while the other projects are from Egypt, Algeria, and Lebanon, with 50% of the participants directed, produced, and written by women
The selection includes Saudi director and writer Hana Alomair’s feature directorial debut Seasons Of Love And War. The love triangle tale set in an...
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has unveiled the 12 projects selected for this year’s edition of its Red Sea Lodge project and talent development programme.
Of the 12 projects selected, six are from Saudi Arabia while the other projects are from Egypt, Algeria, and Lebanon, with 50% of the participants directed, produced, and written by women
The selection includes Saudi director and writer Hana Alomair’s feature directorial debut Seasons Of Love And War. The love triangle tale set in an...
- 3/15/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
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