Bosnian director and screenwriter Danis Tanović, whose “No Man’s Land” won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, has been selected as the president of the Official Competition Jury at the 45th edition of the Cairo Film Festival.
As well as the Oscar, “No Man’s Land” won best screenplay at Cannes in 2001. Tanović has also directed films such as 2005’s “L’enfer,” starring Emmanuelle Béart, 2009’s “Shell Shock,” starring Colin Farrell and Paz Vega, “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2013, and “Death in Sarajevo,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2016.
Amir Ramsis, director of the festival, said Danis Tanović had been “crowned in cinema history with major international awards from the Academy, Cannes and Berlin.” He added: “I am delighted that our festival has always given its audience the opportunity to interact with names that...
As well as the Oscar, “No Man’s Land” won best screenplay at Cannes in 2001. Tanović has also directed films such as 2005’s “L’enfer,” starring Emmanuelle Béart, 2009’s “Shell Shock,” starring Colin Farrell and Paz Vega, “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2013, and “Death in Sarajevo,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2016.
Amir Ramsis, director of the festival, said Danis Tanović had been “crowned in cinema history with major international awards from the Academy, Cannes and Berlin.” He added: “I am delighted that our festival has always given its audience the opportunity to interact with names that...
- 9/18/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Superprod Animation Moves Into Tween Fare With ‘Heroic Football’
French animation studio Superprod has announced new series Heroic Football, set against a fantasy land in which soccer is its only salvation. The project brings together a host of French animation talent including writers Guillaume Mautalent and Sébastien Oursel (Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia). They are joined by Antoine Charreyron, who directed Batwheels, produced at Superprod Animation for Warner Bros Animation, as well as the movie The Prodigies and cult-animated series Galactik Football. Art director Florent Auguy is also attached. Superprod will present the 26 x 22 minutes series at Cartoon Forum 2023 in Toulouse on September 20. The series marks the company’s first foray into animation aimed at the tween demographic. “Each project we undertake is a chance to delve into fresh realms. With Heroic Football,...
French animation studio Superprod has announced new series Heroic Football, set against a fantasy land in which soccer is its only salvation. The project brings together a host of French animation talent including writers Guillaume Mautalent and Sébastien Oursel (Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia). They are joined by Antoine Charreyron, who directed Batwheels, produced at Superprod Animation for Warner Bros Animation, as well as the movie The Prodigies and cult-animated series Galactik Football. Art director Florent Auguy is also attached. Superprod will present the 26 x 22 minutes series at Cartoon Forum 2023 in Toulouse on September 20. The series marks the company’s first foray into animation aimed at the tween demographic. “Each project we undertake is a chance to delve into fresh realms. With Heroic Football,...
- 9/18/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Egyptian producer, director and mentor Marianne Khoury has been appointed artistic director of the El Gouna Film Festival in a clear sign that the prominent Arab event is aiming to make an ambitious comeback for its sixth edition following a one year hiatus.
The fest, launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris – whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort in a swathe of Egypt’s desert near Hurghada, a tourist town 250 miles south of Cairo – was cancelled in 2022 after being held successfully for five years.
Khoury will replace Amir Ramses who stepped down as El Gouna’s artistic director at the end of its fifth edition before the event took a one year pause. Ramses subsequently took the reins as artistic director of the Cairo Film Festival, which is Egypt’s oldest and preeminent film event.
Though no reason was given at the time for El Gouna’s...
The fest, launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris – whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort in a swathe of Egypt’s desert near Hurghada, a tourist town 250 miles south of Cairo – was cancelled in 2022 after being held successfully for five years.
Khoury will replace Amir Ramses who stepped down as El Gouna’s artistic director at the end of its fifth edition before the event took a one year pause. Ramses subsequently took the reins as artistic director of the Cairo Film Festival, which is Egypt’s oldest and preeminent film event.
Though no reason was given at the time for El Gouna’s...
- 6/26/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian director has made films including Cannes 2012 Competition title ‘After the Battle’.
Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah will receive the Golden Pyramid honorary award for lifetime achievement at the 45th edition of Cairo International Film Festival.
The award will be given ‘in appreciation of what Nasrallah has presented throughout his fabulous artistic career’, according to the festival.
Having started his career as an assistant to Youssef Chahine in the 1980s, Nasrallah went on to make his own features including 1999 Locarno title El Medina, and Cannes entries including 2004’s The Gate of Sun and 2012’s Competition entry After The Battle.
His most...
Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah will receive the Golden Pyramid honorary award for lifetime achievement at the 45th edition of Cairo International Film Festival.
The award will be given ‘in appreciation of what Nasrallah has presented throughout his fabulous artistic career’, according to the festival.
Having started his career as an assistant to Youssef Chahine in the 1980s, Nasrallah went on to make his own features including 1999 Locarno title El Medina, and Cannes entries including 2004’s The Gate of Sun and 2012’s Competition entry After The Battle.
His most...
- 6/22/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Palestinian filmmaker Firas Khoury’s fiery coming-of-age drama “Alam” (The Flag) took home the Golden Pyramid at the Cairo Intl. Film Festival, which wrapped with a glitzy award ceremony in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday night.
Khoury’s politically charged debut, which world premiered at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, struck a chord with both the international jury, headed by Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase, and moviegoers in Cairo, who also handed “Alam” the audience award. At a rousing Middle East premiere on Nov. 18, moviegoers burst into applause several times during the screening.
Khoury, who addressed the audience at Cairo’s Opera House with a pre-recorded message, was unable to attend the festival. The director, an Israeli citizen traveling on a Palestinian passport, was not granted a visa by Egyptian authorities.
“Alam” follows a Palestinian-Israeli teen who undergoes a political awakening sparked by a pretty, outspoken girl from his high school class,...
Khoury’s politically charged debut, which world premiered at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, struck a chord with both the international jury, headed by Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase, and moviegoers in Cairo, who also handed “Alam” the audience award. At a rousing Middle East premiere on Nov. 18, moviegoers burst into applause several times during the screening.
Khoury, who addressed the audience at Cairo’s Opera House with a pre-recorded message, was unable to attend the festival. The director, an Israeli citizen traveling on a Palestinian passport, was not granted a visa by Egyptian authorities.
“Alam” follows a Palestinian-Israeli teen who undergoes a political awakening sparked by a pretty, outspoken girl from his high school class,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Local audiences at Cairo Film Festival fell for Nicolas Giraud’s “The Astronaut,” applauding several times during its world premiere on Saturday, even though critics were less enthused. But it wasn’t the only sound that accompanied the screening, frequently interrupted by a cacophony of ringtones.
“What we shared here today was this unique experience of watching a film in a theater, together, an experience we need to protect as it’s endangered all over the world. But what I would like to say to you, people from Egypt…,” started actor Hippolyte Girardot.
“…Turn off your phones in the cinema! Goddamnit!,” added Mathieu Kassovitz during a Q&a that followed, eliciting a hearty laughter from the room.
“The Astronaut”
The film – produced by Christophe Rossignon and Philip Boëffard (Nord-Ouest Films) with Orange Studio handling the sales and Diaphana Distribution on board – is competing in Cairo’s international competition, with its...
“What we shared here today was this unique experience of watching a film in a theater, together, an experience we need to protect as it’s endangered all over the world. But what I would like to say to you, people from Egypt…,” started actor Hippolyte Girardot.
“…Turn off your phones in the cinema! Goddamnit!,” added Mathieu Kassovitz during a Q&a that followed, eliciting a hearty laughter from the room.
“The Astronaut”
The film – produced by Christophe Rossignon and Philip Boëffard (Nord-Ouest Films) with Orange Studio handling the sales and Diaphana Distribution on board – is competing in Cairo’s international competition, with its...
- 11/20/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Actress Swara Bhasker has joined the jury for International Competition presided by Naomi Kawase for the 44th Cairo International Film Festival, which is currently underway at Egypt’s famous Opera House.
Talking about her induction into the jury, Swara said, “I’m both grateful and honoured to be a jury member at such an illustrious festival that has for so many decades been a platform for showcasing global cinema. It is an opportunity to watch some of the best cinema from the region and the world this year and that’s such a treat! I’m absolutely stoked.”
The film festival, which is organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, is the oldest and most esteemed film festival of the Middle East and has showcased many iconic international films that went onto win big at the Oscars and Golden Globes. This year the festival opened with Steven Spielberg’s ‘The...
Talking about her induction into the jury, Swara said, “I’m both grateful and honoured to be a jury member at such an illustrious festival that has for so many decades been a platform for showcasing global cinema. It is an opportunity to watch some of the best cinema from the region and the world this year and that’s such a treat! I’m absolutely stoked.”
The film festival, which is organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, is the oldest and most esteemed film festival of the Middle East and has showcased many iconic international films that went onto win big at the Oscars and Golden Globes. This year the festival opened with Steven Spielberg’s ‘The...
- 11/15/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
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
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
Festival
Japanese director Kawase Naomi will lead the international competition jury of the 44th Cairo International Film Festival (Nov. 13-22).
Kawase won the Caméra d’Or for best debut feature film at Cannes for “Moe no Suzaku” (1997) and also won awards there for “Mogari no Mori” (2007) and “Hikari” (2017). In 2000, her film “Hotaru” won the Fipresci award at Locarno.
Cairo festival president Hussein Fahmy said that Kawase has had a distinguished career and possesses great experience that qualified her to obtain prestigious awards from various international festivals.
Festival director Amir Ramses added that the presence of an award-winning female director with such a successful career and rich filmography is a great inspiration to female filmmakers in Egypt.
Solidarity
The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (Icfr) has declared solidarity with all those in Iran who stand up for their basic human rights and the freedom of expression.
“This is a revolution...
Japanese director Kawase Naomi will lead the international competition jury of the 44th Cairo International Film Festival (Nov. 13-22).
Kawase won the Caméra d’Or for best debut feature film at Cannes for “Moe no Suzaku” (1997) and also won awards there for “Mogari no Mori” (2007) and “Hikari” (2017). In 2000, her film “Hotaru” won the Fipresci award at Locarno.
Cairo festival president Hussein Fahmy said that Kawase has had a distinguished career and possesses great experience that qualified her to obtain prestigious awards from various international festivals.
Festival director Amir Ramses added that the presence of an award-winning female director with such a successful career and rich filmography is a great inspiration to female filmmakers in Egypt.
Solidarity
The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (Icfr) has declared solidarity with all those in Iran who stand up for their basic human rights and the freedom of expression.
“This is a revolution...
- 10/12/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- 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
Hungarian auteur will also mentor young Egyptian filmmakers at the festival.
Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr is to receive a lifetime achievement award at the 44th Cairo International Film Festival (November 13-22).
The award-winning film director, producer and screenwriter will also mentor a workshop with young Egyptian filmmakers at the festival and will separately deliver a masterclass at the event.
The festival will also screen 4K restorations of Tarr’s 2000 feature Werckmeister Harmonies and 2011 drama The Turin Horse, considered two of his finest works. This will make Ciff “one of the early platforms to screen Tarr’s newly restored film copies,...
Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr is to receive a lifetime achievement award at the 44th Cairo International Film Festival (November 13-22).
The award-winning film director, producer and screenwriter will also mentor a workshop with young Egyptian filmmakers at the festival and will separately deliver a masterclass at the event.
The festival will also screen 4K restorations of Tarr’s 2000 feature Werckmeister Harmonies and 2011 drama The Turin Horse, considered two of his finest works. This will make Ciff “one of the early platforms to screen Tarr’s newly restored film copies,...
- 8/11/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Previous edition was marked by a series of mishaps and controversies.
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival has cancelled this year’s edition and will examine the future of the event ahead of a planned return in 2023.
The sixth edition of the festival had been due to take place from October 13-22 in the resort town on the shores of the Red Sea, under long-time director Intishal Al Tamimi.
However, in a surprise announcement, the festival stated that “in view of current global challenges, and with the consequent need to develop an integrated strategy that will live up to the...
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival has cancelled this year’s edition and will examine the future of the event ahead of a planned return in 2023.
The sixth edition of the festival had been due to take place from October 13-22 in the resort town on the shores of the Red Sea, under long-time director Intishal Al Tamimi.
However, in a surprise announcement, the festival stated that “in view of current global challenges, and with the consequent need to develop an integrated strategy that will live up to the...
- 6/20/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The future of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival is looking uncertain following the unexpected cancellation of its previously announced sixth edition, which had been due to run October 13-22.
The festival management said that the event was being postponed to give time for a re-set.
“This decision will allow more time to focus on both the artistic and organizational side of upcoming editions, while strengthening Gff’s ability to play its leading role and contribute to the development of the film industry regionally and internationally,” it said in a statement.
The festival was launched by Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris in 2017 and unfolds in the luxury Red Sea resort of El Gouna, created by his brother Samih Sawiris.
Its development from scratch over the five years been piloted by respected Arab film expert Intishal Al Tamimi who has been credited with creating a credible, international festival.
Storm clouds began gathering...
The festival management said that the event was being postponed to give time for a re-set.
“This decision will allow more time to focus on both the artistic and organizational side of upcoming editions, while strengthening Gff’s ability to play its leading role and contribute to the development of the film industry regionally and internationally,” it said in a statement.
The festival was launched by Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris in 2017 and unfolds in the luxury Red Sea resort of El Gouna, created by his brother Samih Sawiris.
Its development from scratch over the five years been piloted by respected Arab film expert Intishal Al Tamimi who has been credited with creating a credible, international festival.
Storm clouds began gathering...
- 6/20/2022
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
The Variety Welcome to Cannes party at the Unifrance terrace was the place to be on Thursday afternoon, with guests including Eva Longoria, Sony Pictures Classics’ Tom Bernard and Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente.
The hot ticket event was a bubbles and canapes celebration where the movers and shakers of the entertainment industry turned up in force to mingle after two years of Covid-caused separation.
Dea Lawrence, chief operating and marketing officer of Variety, kicked off proceedings by saying that Variety has been covering the Cannes Film Festival for 75 of the publication’s 116 years of existence and that Variety.com has 35 million unique users. “That makes Variety the No. 1 entertainment brand in the universe,” Lawrence said.
For Variety executive editor Ramin Setoodeh, it was a doubly joyous occasion as the event also coincided with his birthday.
“Variety is dedicated to covering the international film business. It is our bread and...
The hot ticket event was a bubbles and canapes celebration where the movers and shakers of the entertainment industry turned up in force to mingle after two years of Covid-caused separation.
Dea Lawrence, chief operating and marketing officer of Variety, kicked off proceedings by saying that Variety has been covering the Cannes Film Festival for 75 of the publication’s 116 years of existence and that Variety.com has 35 million unique users. “That makes Variety the No. 1 entertainment brand in the universe,” Lawrence said.
For Variety executive editor Ramin Setoodeh, it was a doubly joyous occasion as the event also coincided with his birthday.
“Variety is dedicated to covering the international film business. It is our bread and...
- 5/19/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
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
BBC Greenlights Drama On Football Sexual Abuse Scandal; Nick Rowland & Matt Greenhalgh Attached
The BBC has greenlit a factual drama telling the story of the former footballer whose revelations about the sexual abuse he suffered as a youth player sent shockwaves through the footballing world. Calm With Horses’ Nick Rowland is directing and Control’s Matt Greenhalgh is writing Floodlights, which will spotlight Andy Woodward, whose public retelling of the horrific trauma he experienced led to a national inquiry. The Last Kingdom’s Gerard Kearns will play Woodward and the show will also feature Jonas Armstrong (The Bay), Morven Christie (Lockwood & Co) and Steve Edge (Benidorm). “Since speaking out in 2016 I wanted to continue to encourage people to talk without fear, to make a change,” said Woodward. “Floodlights tells my story, which no child should ever have to go through. I hope this film helps to stop abuse in football...
The BBC has greenlit a factual drama telling the story of the former footballer whose revelations about the sexual abuse he suffered as a youth player sent shockwaves through the footballing world. Calm With Horses’ Nick Rowland is directing and Control’s Matt Greenhalgh is writing Floodlights, which will spotlight Andy Woodward, whose public retelling of the horrific trauma he experienced led to a national inquiry. The Last Kingdom’s Gerard Kearns will play Woodward and the show will also feature Jonas Armstrong (The Bay), Morven Christie (Lockwood & Co) and Steve Edge (Benidorm). “Since speaking out in 2016 I wanted to continue to encourage people to talk without fear, to make a change,” said Woodward. “Floodlights tells my story, which no child should ever have to go through. I hope this film helps to stop abuse in football...
- 3/29/2022
- by Max Goldbart and Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
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 Red Sea event marked its fifth edition from October 14-22.
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, running in its namesake Egyptian Red Sea resort from October 14-22, got off to a memorable start this year when a fire broke out on the red carpet of the main festival plaza area on the eve of the opening ceremony.
By the next day, there was no sign of the near-disaster after hundreds of workers toiled through the night to repair the damage.
This freak accident would set the scene for an eventful edition, however, marked by guest deportations and cancellations, a...
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, running in its namesake Egyptian Red Sea resort from October 14-22, got off to a memorable start this year when a fire broke out on the red carpet of the main festival plaza area on the eve of the opening ceremony.
By the next day, there was no sign of the near-disaster after hundreds of workers toiled through the night to repair the damage.
This freak accident would set the scene for an eventful edition, however, marked by guest deportations and cancellations, a...
- 10/25/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Amir Ramses, artistic director of the ongoing El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt, is understood to have resigned in the final days of the event. It’s believed he may have stepped down due to growing local opposition to Cannes-winning film “Feathers,” by Egyptian filmmaker Omar El Zohairy.
The film follows a family thrown into disarray after its patriarch is accidentally turned into a chicken by a magician during a children’s birthday party. “Feathers” debuted at the Cannes Critics’ Week, where it won the grand prize and the Fipresci prize. Following its screening at El Gouna, several prominent local critics took issue with the portrayal of Egypt in the film, though it is still unclear whether there is a link between the film’s premiere and the director’s resignation.
The festival has declined to comment.
On Wednesday, El Zohairy won the Variety Middle East and North African Region Talent Award,...
The film follows a family thrown into disarray after its patriarch is accidentally turned into a chicken by a magician during a children’s birthday party. “Feathers” debuted at the Cannes Critics’ Week, where it won the grand prize and the Fipresci prize. Following its screening at El Gouna, several prominent local critics took issue with the portrayal of Egypt in the film, though it is still unclear whether there is a link between the film’s premiere and the director’s resignation.
The festival has declined to comment.
On Wednesday, El Zohairy won the Variety Middle East and North African Region Talent Award,...
- 10/20/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
British film “Limbo,” a wry refugee drama, directed by Edinburgh-born director Ben Sharrock and produced by Spain’s Irune Gurtubai, won the Golden Pyramid for best film at the Cairo Film Festival on Thursday.
Told in a pleasing deadpan style, “Limbo” recounts the story of a Syrian musician, played by the BIFA nominated rising star Amir El-Masry, who is placed on a Scottish island when awaiting his request for asylum to be processed. The film, which recently picked up the top prize at the Macau Film Festival, also picked up Cairo’s Henry Barakat Award for best artistic contribution. The film, sold by Protagonist Pictures and staged by Caravan Cinema and presented by Film 4, Screen Scotland and BFI, also took home the Fipresci award.
Russian director Alexander Sokurov was president of the seven-person jury, featuring German director Burhan Qurbani, Egyptian producer Gaby Khoury, Mexican actress Naian Gonzalez Norvind, Brazilian director Karim Ainouz,...
Told in a pleasing deadpan style, “Limbo” recounts the story of a Syrian musician, played by the BIFA nominated rising star Amir El-Masry, who is placed on a Scottish island when awaiting his request for asylum to be processed. The film, which recently picked up the top prize at the Macau Film Festival, also picked up Cairo’s Henry Barakat Award for best artistic contribution. The film, sold by Protagonist Pictures and staged by Caravan Cinema and presented by Film 4, Screen Scotland and BFI, also took home the Fipresci award.
Russian director Alexander Sokurov was president of the seven-person jury, featuring German director Burhan Qurbani, Egyptian producer Gaby Khoury, Mexican actress Naian Gonzalez Norvind, Brazilian director Karim Ainouz,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
While it may seem a bit odd that the artistic director of the El Gouna Film Festival is world premiering his new film, “Curfew,” at the Cairo International Film Festival, the director in question Amir Ramses says it makes perfect sense. “There was no way I would consider El Gouna for my film because it’s a direct conflict of interest,” he says. “I have a strong bond with Cairo Film Festival, and I don’t consider that we are competing with each other; one way or another we are completing Cairo and Cairo is completing us.”
Ramses has been artist director at El Gouna since its inception in 2017, and this is the first time he has helmed a movie since then. Early in his career, Ramses was prolific, making a handful of films in quick succession. His documentary, “Jews of Egypt,” and ensemble narrative, “Cairo Time,” were invited to festivals around the world.
Ramses has been artist director at El Gouna since its inception in 2017, and this is the first time he has helmed a movie since then. Early in his career, Ramses was prolific, making a handful of films in quick succession. His documentary, “Jews of Egypt,” and ensemble narrative, “Cairo Time,” were invited to festivals around the world.
- 12/1/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
The Cairo Film Festival kicks off its 42nd edition Wednesday as a mostly physical event with the Middle East premiere of Florian Zeller’s adaptation of his hit stage play “The Father,” for which co-writer Christopher Hampton and actor Rufus Sewell are expected in attendance.
“I think it’s one of the best films of the year,” fest president Mohamed Hefzy tells Variety. “We felt that the way the subject (dementia) is treated is extremely humane and very cinematic,” he added, noting that “Father” is a great opener since it is “a very accessible film for a broader audience.”
The socially-distanced opening ceremony of the grande dame of the Arab world’s fests will take place in the Cairo Opera House’s open-air theater, which is being called The We Theater, where other expected attendees will include Russian master Alexander Sokurov (“Russian Ark”), who is presiding over this year’s main jury,...
“I think it’s one of the best films of the year,” fest president Mohamed Hefzy tells Variety. “We felt that the way the subject (dementia) is treated is extremely humane and very cinematic,” he added, noting that “Father” is a great opener since it is “a very accessible film for a broader audience.”
The socially-distanced opening ceremony of the grande dame of the Arab world’s fests will take place in the Cairo Opera House’s open-air theater, which is being called The We Theater, where other expected attendees will include Russian master Alexander Sokurov (“Russian Ark”), who is presiding over this year’s main jury,...
- 12/1/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Prominent Middle East satellite pay TV and streaming service Orbit Showtime Network (Osn) is launching an Osn Originals unit as part of new plans to double its investment in Arabic content with the stated goal that Arabic acquisitions and originals should account for 25% of its total content by 2021.
The Dubai-based company’s move follows the launch of its Osn Streaming service in April, when Osn also inked a landmark long-term deal with Disney. This comprised distribution of Disney Plus content exclusively across the Middle East and North Africa, where Disney Plus has not launched.
The Osn Originals label includes Fremantle-produced “No Man’s Land,” about the Syrian Kurd Ypj women’s militia push back against Isis (a Hulu original in the U.S.), and Egyptian feature film “Curfew,” directed by Amir Ramses (“Jews of Egypt”) that will soon world premiere at the Cairo Film Festival.
Osn CEO Patrick Tillieux spoke...
The Dubai-based company’s move follows the launch of its Osn Streaming service in April, when Osn also inked a landmark long-term deal with Disney. This comprised distribution of Disney Plus content exclusively across the Middle East and North Africa, where Disney Plus has not launched.
The Osn Originals label includes Fremantle-produced “No Man’s Land,” about the Syrian Kurd Ypj women’s militia push back against Isis (a Hulu original in the U.S.), and Egyptian feature film “Curfew,” directed by Amir Ramses (“Jews of Egypt”) that will soon world premiere at the Cairo Film Festival.
Osn CEO Patrick Tillieux spoke...
- 11/18/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Jasmila Žbanic’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?” won the El Gouna Star for best narrative film at the El Gouna Film Festival, carrying a $50,000 prize. The film’s star, Jasna Duricic, also took home the best actress award, for her startling eponymous turn. Based on a true story, the 1995-set drama tells the story of a Un translator attempting to save the lives of her husband and son after the Army of Republic Srpska takes over the city of Srebrenica.
Other winners announced by jury president Peter Webber at the striking new open-air Festival Plaza included Ali Suliman as best actor for his turn as a Palestinian trying to reunite with his family in Ameen Nayfeh’s “200 Meters,” a film which also won the Cinema for Humanity Audience Award. Hilal Baydarov’s “In Between Dying” won the Netpac Award for best Asian film.
Other big winners on the night included...
Other winners announced by jury president Peter Webber at the striking new open-air Festival Plaza included Ali Suliman as best actor for his turn as a Palestinian trying to reunite with his family in Ameen Nayfeh’s “200 Meters,” a film which also won the Cinema for Humanity Audience Award. Hilal Baydarov’s “In Between Dying” won the Netpac Award for best Asian film.
Other big winners on the night included...
- 10/31/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (Ifcr) calls for his release of the producer in jail since May.
The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (Icfr) has sounded the alarm for Egyptian producer Moataz Abdelwahab, following his continued imprisonment in Cairo.
Producing under the banner of Team One Productions, Abdelwahab’s recent credits include Tamer Ezzat’s musical drama When We’re Born, which world premiered at the El Gouna Film Festival last year, and also played at Tunisia’s Carthage Film Festival.
He was arrested last May on charges of “partnering with a terrorist organisation” and “spreading false...
The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (Icfr) has sounded the alarm for Egyptian producer Moataz Abdelwahab, following his continued imprisonment in Cairo.
Producing under the banner of Team One Productions, Abdelwahab’s recent credits include Tamer Ezzat’s musical drama When We’re Born, which world premiered at the El Gouna Film Festival last year, and also played at Tunisia’s Carthage Film Festival.
He was arrested last May on charges of “partnering with a terrorist organisation” and “spreading false...
- 10/29/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Festival pushes back dates by two weeks to ensure proper hygiene measures are in place.
The Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has pushed back the dates of its 42nd edition by two weeks to December 2 to 10, in order to ensure that health procedures and measures Covid-19 hygiene measures are properly in place.
Linked to this, the third edition of its Cairo Industry Days industry programme will now take place December 4 to 7, and its the Cairo Film Connection project co-financing event, featuring new projects from Yousry Nasrallah and Kaouther Ben Hania, will unfold December 5 to 7.
“We never gave up hope,” said festival president Mohamed Hefzy.
The Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has pushed back the dates of its 42nd edition by two weeks to December 2 to 10, in order to ensure that health procedures and measures Covid-19 hygiene measures are properly in place.
Linked to this, the third edition of its Cairo Industry Days industry programme will now take place December 4 to 7, and its the Cairo Film Connection project co-financing event, featuring new projects from Yousry Nasrallah and Kaouther Ben Hania, will unfold December 5 to 7.
“We never gave up hope,” said festival president Mohamed Hefzy.
- 10/5/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Winners in the narrative feature competition also included Ray & Liz, The Heiresses and Yomeddine.
Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined won the Golden Star in the Feature Narrative competition at the second edition of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, which wrapped on Friday night.
The film, which recently won the Golden Leopard at this year’s Locarno film festival, follows a detective investigating the disappearance of a migrant worker.
Ray & Liz, directed by the UK’s Richard Billingham, won the Silver Star in the same competition, while the Bronze Star went to The Heiresses from Paraguay’s Marcelo Martinessi.
Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined won the Golden Star in the Feature Narrative competition at the second edition of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, which wrapped on Friday night.
The film, which recently won the Golden Leopard at this year’s Locarno film festival, follows a detective investigating the disappearance of a migrant worker.
Ray & Liz, directed by the UK’s Richard Billingham, won the Silver Star in the same competition, while the Bronze Star went to The Heiresses from Paraguay’s Marcelo Martinessi.
- 9/29/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Jordanian actress Saba Mubarak stars and produces timely film about Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Cairo-based distributor Mad Solutions has acquired Arab world rights to Turkish director Andac Haznedaroglu’s refugee drama The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul starring Jordanian actress Saba Mubarak as a Syrian woman attempting to get Greece.
The film is a first-ever Turkish-Jordanian co-production and involves Istanbul Film Productions, Andac Film Productions, Istanbul Digital (ID) and Mubarak’s Amman-based company Pan East Media, which also received the backing of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Mubarak plays Meryem, a Syrian woman fleeing her war-town in the company of eight-year-old Lena and her younger sister, the children of neighbours who have perished in the fighting. The cast also features a number of Syrian amateur actors.
“The issue of Syrian refugees, not only in Turkey, but all over the world, is one of the most important issues in the world today, In my view...
Cairo-based distributor Mad Solutions has acquired Arab world rights to Turkish director Andac Haznedaroglu’s refugee drama The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul starring Jordanian actress Saba Mubarak as a Syrian woman attempting to get Greece.
The film is a first-ever Turkish-Jordanian co-production and involves Istanbul Film Productions, Andac Film Productions, Istanbul Digital (ID) and Mubarak’s Amman-based company Pan East Media, which also received the backing of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Mubarak plays Meryem, a Syrian woman fleeing her war-town in the company of eight-year-old Lena and her younger sister, the children of neighbours who have perished in the fighting. The cast also features a number of Syrian amateur actors.
“The issue of Syrian refugees, not only in Turkey, but all over the world, is one of the most important issues in the world today, In my view...
- 5/18/2017
- ScreenDaily
Dolphins, Abood Kandaishan and Cairo Time are the among the first titles set to be released theatrically in the Middle East thanks to the Dubai Film Market’s new distribution programme.
Under the new Dfm initiative, called the Dubai Distribution Programme, six Middle East distributors have agreed to acquire at least one Arab title from the Diff line-up and release it theatrically in the region.
In exchange, the Dfm and Diff have agreed to promote the release through its platforms and networks.
“We’re over the moon with this first year. I’ve never seen the local distributors as engaged in the market as this year. The programme has created a real buzz around the Arab titles in the selection,” said Dfm chief Samr Al Marzooqi.
Many of the deals are still being finalised but Al Marzooqi was able to report a handful of early acquisitions.
As previously reported Dubai-based exhibitor and distributor Vox, which operates...
Under the new Dfm initiative, called the Dubai Distribution Programme, six Middle East distributors have agreed to acquire at least one Arab title from the Diff line-up and release it theatrically in the region.
In exchange, the Dfm and Diff have agreed to promote the release through its platforms and networks.
“We’re over the moon with this first year. I’ve never seen the local distributors as engaged in the market as this year. The programme has created a real buzz around the Arab titles in the selection,” said Dfm chief Samr Al Marzooqi.
Many of the deals are still being finalised but Al Marzooqi was able to report a handful of early acquisitions.
As previously reported Dubai-based exhibitor and distributor Vox, which operates...
- 12/17/2014
- ScreenDaily
Egyptian actor Nour El-Sherif and Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle will both receive lifetime achievement awards at this year’s Dubai International Film Festival (Diff).
El-Sherif’s career of 47 years has seen him produce and star in notable Arabic-language films such as The Yacoubian Building, Atef E-Taieb’s Sawak al-Utubis (1982) and Youssef Chahine’s An Egyptian Story (1982) and Destiny (1997).
He also produced the 1976 action thriller Circle Of Revenge and went on to produce Zaman Hatem Zahran in 1986.
Diff is also screening the world premiere of El-Sherif’s latest film, Amir Ramses’ Cairo Time, which also stars Mervat Amin, Samir Sabri, Dorra and Ayten Amer.
Meanwhile, 81-year-old playback singer Asha Bhosle has recorded more than 12,000 songs for more than 850 films. She is known for her range and versatility across various style of music from folk songs and Indian classical music to pop songs, ghazals and bhajans.
Bhosle also has a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records...
El-Sherif’s career of 47 years has seen him produce and star in notable Arabic-language films such as The Yacoubian Building, Atef E-Taieb’s Sawak al-Utubis (1982) and Youssef Chahine’s An Egyptian Story (1982) and Destiny (1997).
He also produced the 1976 action thriller Circle Of Revenge and went on to produce Zaman Hatem Zahran in 1986.
Diff is also screening the world premiere of El-Sherif’s latest film, Amir Ramses’ Cairo Time, which also stars Mervat Amin, Samir Sabri, Dorra and Ayten Amer.
Meanwhile, 81-year-old playback singer Asha Bhosle has recorded more than 12,000 songs for more than 850 films. She is known for her range and versatility across various style of music from folk songs and Indian classical music to pop songs, ghazals and bhajans.
Bhosle also has a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records...
- 12/8/2014
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
It recently screened at the Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts earlier this month - Egyptian director Amir Ramsis' feature documentary, "Jews of Egypt: End of a Journey," a sequel to last year's "Jews of Egypt," which captures the lives of the Egyptian Jewish community in the first half of the twentieth century, through the present, in an attempt to understand how Egyptian society turned from a society full of tolerance and acceptance of one another, to one that that rejects others. The film focuses on the key events that shaped lives, like Egypt's 1952 Revolution, which ended the British...
- 6/27/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
In a press conference held last Sunday, at Creativity Center in Cairo Opera House, Egypt, Kamal Abdel Aziz, Festival President at Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts along with Festival Director Mohamed Hefzy announced the programs and competitions of the festival's 17th edition, where 42 films from across 32 countries will screen, from June 3-8. In another 10 days, the festival will also reveal the names of other 5 participating films, in addition to the list of the selected film projects that will be part of the Ismailia Co-production Platform as well as the out-of-competition screenings. Egyptian Director Amir Ramsis's feature documentary,...
- 5/17/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Part history lesson, part requiem, Amir Ramsis's documentary is a dense, often chilling work that manages, in 95 minutes, to devote equal screen time to an overwhelming number of Egyptian Jews, some born and raised in Alexandria, some arriving in the 1930s and '40s as native French speakers, and all exiled by the mid '50s.
The interviewees reflect fondly on a golden era in which Christians, Jews, and Muslims respected and often celebrated each other's holidays, and Jews were appreciated for their contributions to Egyptian culture and industry.
Ramsis's subjects scoffed at Zionists and, despite the rise of the outwardly anti-Semitic Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian authorities' growing distrust of even secular Jews, refused to relocate to Israel, dismissing it as a "...
The interviewees reflect fondly on a golden era in which Christians, Jews, and Muslims respected and often celebrated each other's holidays, and Jews were appreciated for their contributions to Egyptian culture and industry.
Ramsis's subjects scoffed at Zionists and, despite the rise of the outwardly anti-Semitic Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian authorities' growing distrust of even secular Jews, refused to relocate to Israel, dismissing it as a "...
- 3/26/2014
- Village Voice
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