With 5 Awards for Villa 69, 5 for Rags and Tatter and 3 for Asham
Several films produced by Egyptian production slate Film Clinic scooped thirteen awards out of the total eighteen awards granted at the 40th Egyptian Film Association Festival, which closed on Saturday, February22nd, 2014.
Aytin Amin's Villa 69 and Rags and Tatters by Ahmed Abdallah claimed the biggest share of the festival's awards. Villa 69 won 6 awards namely: Best Directorial Debut for Director Ayten Amin, Best Actor for Khaled Abol Naga, Best Supporting Actor for Omar El Ghandour, Best Supporting Actress for Heba Yousry, Best Film Editing for Emad Maher, and a Certificate of Appreciation for Art Director Shahira Nassef.
Rags and Tatters garnered 5 awards including: Best Film and Best Script awards for Director Ahmed Abdallah, in addition to Best Sound Editing for Ahmed Mostafa Saleh and Best Film Poster award.
Asham won its director Maggie Morgan the Jury Prize, Best Soundtrack for Esmaa Shouf company with composers Khaled Kammar and Ahmed Mustafa, Music Supervisor Hany Adel, and Best Costumes for Wafaa Wali. The awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 1st, 2014, at the Artistic Creativity Center, Cairo Opera House, with the presence of the Minister of Culture.
Prominent directors Maggie Morgan, Ahmed Abdallah, and Ayten Amin received a Special Mention during the poll held after their films' screening, under the framework of the festival.
Villa 69: Co-written by Mohamed Al Hag and Mahmoud Ezzat, the film is Ayten Amin's feature directorial debut. Produced by Film Clinic in co-production with Wael Omar's Middle West Films, the film stars Khaled Abol Naga,Arwa Gouda, and Egyptian veteran actress Lebleba. Villa 69 follows Hussein, a man living in isolation in his house. Characters from his past begin to invade his solitary lifestyle and his life witnesses drastic changes following the encounter with his sister and nephew, Seif. As a result, gradual and yet radical changes in his dogmatic view of life begin to emerge.
Rags and Tatters: Written and directed by Ahmed Abdallah, the film unfolds a new experience in Egyptian cinema as the story builds up with minimal dialogue between the characters based on visual narration within a balanced equation of documentation and narration. It tells the story of a prison inmate who escapes from jail following the incidents that took place on January 28th, 2011, when police forces were withdrawn from the streets and chaos prevailed. The film stars Asser Yassin who plays the leading role of the fugitive inmate who moves in a number of poor alienated Egyptian districts. Rags and Tatters stars Amr Abed, Mohamed Mamdouh, Seif Al Aswani, Yara Gobran and Latifa Fahmi. Shot on location in Mansheyet Nasser and Old Cairo, the film is produced by Mohamed Hefzy's Film Clinic in co-production with Mashrou', Ahmed Abdallah's new production house formed with Asser Yassin, and Producer and Writer Amr Shama, Scriptwriter of After the Battle film.
Asham: Scripted by Maggie Morgan, the film is considered her feature directorial debut. The film tells six intertwined stories about aspiration, disappointment, and hope set against the backdrop of a restless Cairo, itself on the brink of change. At significant points of their lives, some characters converge onto a street peddler, while other characters experience a series of events, which inevitably lead their pathways to intersect. The film stars acclaimed figures such as prolific Director Mohamed Khan and Stage Director Mahmoud El-Lozy, along with young faces including Amina Khalil, Marwa Tharwat, Seif Al Aswani, Shady Habashy, Mohamed Sarhan,Naglaa Younes, Hany Seif, Salma Salem, and Noha El Kholy.
