By Muhammed Aladdin
On its fifth edition, the Faten Hamama International Film Festival was held for the first time in London on Wednesday, 1st of May. The event had an attendance that brought together several nationalities to view a number of Egyptian, as well as international, classics.
The Director of the Film Festival, Magdy Anwar, said in a statement to Egypt Today that the audience was glad to be further exposed to Egyptian culture and tradition through cinema. He went on to add that many had praised the quality of the works showcased as well.
As for the judging panel, it was composed of a wide array of experts including Tunisian, Actress Durra; British Producer, Carl Toni; Italian Producer, Cleofas Adrian; and Spanish Director, Joan Vera. Meanwhile, Egyptian Director, Karim Hanafi, declared the winning pieces.
In the Best Short Film Category, the award has been presented to Egyptian Director, Alaa Khaled for his film “El Tagreba Asef”, while the Long Feature Film award went to the Argentinean film “Acha Acha” directed by Mario Piazza. In addition, Director Carlos Mori’s film “Un agujero en el Muro” has been presented with the Jury Award.
Prior to the closing ceremony, the fifth edition of Faten Hamama International Film Festival paid tribute to a number of late Egyptian filmmakers including the Documentary Director, Attiyat al-Abnoudi. Moreover, the late Egyptian Film Director, Ali Reda’s life has been celebrated before the whole world in a short documentary narrated by his wife, Farida Fahmi.
As part of the festival’s main events, a screening of the Egyptian classic “El Karnak” has seen critical approval from the many attendees.
In parallel to the Londonian settings of the film festival, Cairo has seen a synchronized screening of the participating films which took place in the “Darb 1718” cultural center in the Old Egypt district.