Egyptian soprano Rita Ashkar will perform the role of Miss Wordsworth in the opera Albert Herring composed by Benjamin Britten. The chamber opera in three acts is a production of Germany s University of Music Detmold (Hochschule für Musik Detmold), which Ashkar has been attending since 2018. Revealing the news on her Facebook account, the young soprano said, "And so it ends. It s been a hell of a rollercoaster ride but it was definitely worth all the hard work. These past few months I was challenged like never before. This role has taught me a lot and helped me develop in every possible way. I m so thankful I got the chance to be part of such an amazing production and to have had the chance to share the stage with very talented people from whom I ve learnt quite a lot." Currently based in Germany, and a graduate of the American University in Cairo s economics department, Ashkar started singing at the age of 12. She participated in various singing competition in Germany, Italy and Turkey. In Egypt, she was a member of Fabrica, a musical theatre company headed by the Egyptian soprano Neveen Allouba. Apart from her frequent performances with Fabrica, Ashkar has also performed opera, jazz and pop on numerous occasions at many Egyptian venues including the Cairo Opera House. She was then accepted at the University of Music Detmold, one of the most prestigious music schools in Germany, where she pursues her singing education.

As Valentine s Day on February 14 approaches, gift shops in the Mansheya area of Alexandria prepared themselves for the occasion with roses, hearts, red lips and flowers amid soaring prices compared to previous years. Teddy bears now range between LE90 and over LE400, depending on color and size, while doll prices reached LE150. Gift shop owner Mohamed Nour explained: “Prices are high this year, compared to last year, due to the high price of raw materials used in the industry, in addition to creating new gifts such as letters made of orchid wood.” Employee Mamdouh Zayed said “I am eager to buy Valentine s Day gifts for my wife, but prices during the current year are very high.” Pointing out how even teddy bears can cost over LE400, Zayed said that the price of a whole gift after packaging and adding flowers could surpass LE1,000, which he cannot afford. Another employee, Sayed Abdel Ghaffar, feared that the soaring prices of Valentine s Day gifts would harm the market due to weak purchasing power and citizens preferring to buy necessary goods instead. He lamented as to how gifts once priced at LE100 are now at LE400. Student Mohamed Muhareb suggested that these useless and expensive gifts should just be replaced with red roses, which symbolize love – the entire purpose of the occasion. Egypt also celebrates its own variation of Valentine s Day on November 4. On November 4, 1988, journalist Mostafa Amin published a suggestion sent to him by some of his readers to specify what Egypt s Valentine s Day should be, so that same day was set to celebrate the occasion. The historical origin of Valentine s Day dates back to an event that occurred in the third century AD, when Christianity was yet blooming. The Roman Empire under Emperor Clydes II banned soldiers from marriage so they would not be distracted. Saint Valentine confronted this ruling and held the marriages of young couples secretly until he was discovered and sentenced to death on February 14, 269 AD. Other tales have the saint being adored by a large number of women, which led to his execution.

The Barack and Michelle Obama-produced film “American Factory” snagged an Oscar on Sunday for best documentary — a win for Netflix, which backed the story of a manufacturing plant in the US Midwest reopened by a Chinese billionaire. The film charts a Rust Belt community s journey from optimism at the giant plant s reopening, which brought back vital jobs, towards creeping anger and disillusionment, as the Chinese management imposed strict, exhausting demands on workers — and sacked those who did not comply. “Our film is from Ohio and China,” director Julia Reichert said. “But it really could be from anywhere that people put on a uniform, punch a clock, trying to make their families have a better life.” “Working people have it harder and harder these days, and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite,” she said in accepting her statuette. Co-directed by Reichert and Steven Bognar, the film is an all-access look at how both American and Chinese workers, from blue-collar to management, had their lives transformed by powerful global economic forces. The story was moving enough to catch notice from none other than the Obamas. The former first couple acquired “American Factory” early last year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it had won the directing award. It was released on Netflix in August 2019 as the first offering from the former first couple s Higher Ground Productions company. The film s co-producer and the factory s chairman were unable to leave China for the ceremony, due to White House restrictions on travel over the coronavirus panic. “That inconvenience pales when compared to people losing their lives, suffering because of this virus,” co-director Bognar said backstage. The Obamas congratulated Reichert and Bognar for their win Sunday, with the former president calling the film “a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change.” “Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground s first release,” he tweeted. The former first lady said she was “glad to see their heart and honesty recognized — because the best stories are rarely tidy or perfect.” “But that s where the truth so often lies,” she tweeted. “American Factory” bested “The Edge of Democracy,” “The Cave,” “For Sama” and “Honeyland” to take the Oscar.

Legendary Egyptian actress Yousra was one of the few Arab stars who made it to the Oscars red carpet this year, rocking a dazzling Pharaoh-inspired gown from renowned designer Zuhair Murad s spring collection of highly-detailed, glittering gold dresses inspired by Egypt s ancient queens. The iconic actress was invited in July 2019 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the prestigious organization behind the Oscars, alongside fellow Egyptian artists Mohamed Hefzy, an acclaimed producer and screenwriter, and Amr Salama, director of Sheikh Jackson (2017). The three Egyptian celebrities were selected among 842 new members from 59 countries, according to a statement released by the academy on Monday, July 2. Yousra s name is now featured on a member list alongside Game of Thrones star Stephen Dillane, Black Panther s Winston Duke, and Jennifer Ehle, who is best known for her starring role in Pride and Prejudice (1995), among other international celebrities. The Egyptian mega star is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and was featured in Arabian Business s “World s 100 Most Powerful Arab Women,” as well as their “50 Most Influential Arabs” list, according to her profile on The American University in Cairo s website. Yousra has racked up more than 60 global and local awards, including the Cinema award at the Arab Women of the Year ceremony in London. She has also taken part in numerous film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival. America Abroad Media (AAM) also honored Yousra in November 2019 at its seventh edition during its annual dinner in Washington, DC, celebrating the star s contributions to the film industry. A number of top Hollywood stars congratulated Yousra on her award, including Harvey Keitel, who has acted in several critically acclaimed films, like Martin Scorsese s The Irishman (2019) and Quentin Tarantino s Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994). Keitel commented: “In your award is my reward, because I have this opportunity to tell you, ever since that night I first met you in Cairo, how lovely and strong an impression you made on us.” Having starred in more than 80 films, Yousra is best known for “Al-Ens wa al-Jen” (The Human and the Djinn, 1985) , “Karakon fe al-Sharea” (A Police Station in the Street, 1986), “Al-Mansy” (The Forgotten, 1996), “Al-Irhab Wal Kabab” (Terrorism and Kebab, 1992), and “Toyour al-Zalam” (Birds of Darkness, 1995). She further solidified her career through collaborations with the famed late Egyptian director Youssef Chahine in “Hadduta Masreya” (Egyptian Story, 1982), “Iskendereya Kaman we Kaman” (Alexandria Again and Forever, 1989) and “Al-Mohager” (The Emigrant, 1994).

The silver screen s biggest night is here — Oscars campaigns have been wrapped up, predictions placed and champagne iced. While many pundits expect relentless marches to victory for “1917” and the four leading acting nominees, surprises will no doubt be in store. Here are five things to look out for at Sunday s Academy Awards: – Will Oscars go global? – Many records could tumble Sunday, but there is no doubt which would be the most historic of all victories. South Korean black comedy “Parasite” has defied conventional wisdom to keep the pace with the best picture Oscar frontrunners, defying what its director called the “one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles.” A non-English-language movie has never won the movie industry s top prize, despite Mexican drama “Roma” making a serious run last year. With a wave of support for its charismatic director Bong Joon-ho, and an increasingly international voting bloc within the Academy, could this be the year? – Diversity on show – This year s Oscars feature just one non-white acting nominee — Cynthia Erivo for “Harriet” — earning the Academy plenty of criticism. No women were shortlisted for best director, leaving the grand total of females nominated in this category over 92 years at a paltry five. The glitzy Sunday show — produced by two women — appears intended to redress some of that imbalance. Once again there is no host, but guest presenters include actresses of a wide range of nationalities including Penelope Cruz (Spain), Salma Hayek (Mexico) and Gal Gadot (Israel). – Song and dance – Coming just two weeks after the spectacular Grammys, the Oscars have a lot to do to compete in terms of musical performance. Organizers appear determined to try, with Grammy record-setter and soon-to-be James Bond songstress Billie Eilish set to perform, along with funk futurist Janelle Monae. British pop legend Elton John also will grace the stage, performing his nominated song “(I m Gonna) Love Me Again” from the film about his life, “Rocketman.” And Eimear Noone will make history as the first female conductor of the in-house orchestra for the ceremony. Producer Lynette Howell (“A Star Is Born”) has promised some “some additional musical surprise moments” — telling journalists they will “have to tune in” to find out what they are. – Kirk and Kobe – Each year, the Oscars presents a montage honoring those Hollywood has lost over the past 12 months. This year will be particularly poignant, given the still-raw grief in Los Angeles over the deaths of Golden Age legend Kirk Douglas and Oscar-winning basketball star Kobe Bryant. Organizers have confirmed that both will be featured in the traditional “in memoriam” section, and watch out for frequent mentions in the winners speeches too. – Brad Pitt s speech – Sure, he hasn t won the Oscar yet. But Brad Pitt has been on a relentless awards sweep for his supporting role in “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.” Thankfully, he has broken up the monotony by delivering consistently the most witty and entertaining speeches this season. From quipping “Hey Britain. Heard you just became single — welcome to the club” at the BAFTAs in remarks delivered by co-star Margot Robbie, to promising to post his Screen Actors Guild award on Tinder, Hollywood s enduring heartthrob has unexpectedly become its awards circuit jester. Hopefully he — or his joke-writer — has saved the best for last.

Egypt s Minister of Antiquities and Toursim Khaled al-Anani has unveiled a plan to renovate the area surrounding the Great Pyramids of Giza, which would include building the first café and restaurant to serve tourists at the location, according to official statements issued by the Minister on Tuesday, February 4. Anani said that the area was lacking even basic shops for bottles of water, adding that the development project will be allow Egyptian companies to provide various services in the area — major step in the history of the tourist destination. Part of ongoing efforts to encourage more visitors to the Great Pyramids and boost tourism in the country more broadly, the restaurant will allow visitors to have lunch while gazing out at what is arguably Egypt s most remarkable site, Anani said. The Minister added that the plan will take place under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, in order to “show full appreciation” for the archeological value of the area. The project to revamp the area surrounding the Pyramids was first unveiled when Orascom investment signed an agreement in 2018 with the Supreme Council of Antiquities to launch a platform for offering different services at the site. The agreement gives the Supreme Council the sole right to administer facilities in the area, according to a previous official statement. Egypt has also worked to improve roads leading to the much anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which is located nearby the Giza Pyramids and is set to open its doors to the public this year. In light of official estimates of five million visitors to the GEM annually, Fayoum road is set to be expanded to four times its current size to fit the capacity for cars heading to the new mega museum and the Great Pyramids of Giza.

The chairman of the General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO) Haytham al-Haj Ali said that 3.5 million people visited the 51st edition of Cairo s International Book Fair, held between January 23 and February 4th this year. He added that Egypt s Ministry of Culture made “huge” efforts to make sure that the 2020 book fair, which was held for the second time in the distant suburb of New Cairo, proved a success. Haj added that the Book Fair s administration had honored Senegal this year as a “Guest of Honor,” and announced that Greece will be the “guest of honor” of the Cairo International Book Fair next year. The National Center for Translation and the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies also organized a symposium for the late professor of Hebrew Arts Ibrahim al-Bahrawy and presented the fourth part of the “6th of October Victory in Israeli Documents” at Cairo s book fair on Tuesday. The organizers say the documents, which were declassified, “confirm” Egypt s victory in the 1973 October War. In 2019, the book fair was moved from the fairgrounds at Nasr City to the distant suburb of New Cairo, with some publishers protesting the move and vendors from popular used-book markets opting to hold their own event. Entitled “Egypt –Africa, A Culture of Diversity,” the 51st edition of the book fair locked down 900 publishing houses, compared to 747 publishers in attendance in 2019, according to President of the Arab Publishers Association Mohammad Rashad. Vendors from Sour El-Azbakeya, a well-known used book market in the heart of Cairo that did not attend the fair in 2019, were also back this year. Over 2.5 million people attended last year s fair, according to the Ministry of Culture. Also on Tuesday, Minister of Culture Enas Abdel Dayem expressed her sadness over the death of legendary Egyptian actress Nadia Lotfy, and attended the memorial ceremony for the death of young writer Mohammed Khalifa, asking that his play, which won the Sharjah Festival for Gulf Theater Prize, be printed.

The 46th edition of the annual Egyptian Film Society Festival for Egyptian Cinema, which is organized by the Cairo Film Society in an effort to highlight Egypt s local film scene, has announced this year s winners, with independent movie “When we re born” sweeping to victory this year to win the coveted best picture award. Winners were selected by a jury headed by legendary film critic Kamal Ramzi and announced by The Film Society Festival Administration, which is led by filmmaker Mahmoud Abdel Samie, after 8 films were screened at the Artistic Creativity Center of the Cairo Opera House between January 25 and February 1. The festival, which is supported by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, aims to highlight domestic talent and “give due recognition…to legends that have given their blood and sweat to the industry,” according to an earlier press release from the festival s organizers. Independent film “When we re born” swept the festival s awards, beating its competition this year for best film. The movie, which was directed by Tamer Ezzat and took over 10 years to make, follows the hopes and trials of three Egyptian characters – a son who dreams of pursuing a singing career despite his father s objections, a Christian woman in love with a Muslim man, and a newlywed personal trainer who is forced to compromise his values for the opportunity to own a gym. Actress Salma Hassan received the award for best actress in a leading role for her work in “When we re born,” and Hanan Soliman, meanwhile, won the award for best supporting actress for the same film, while director Tamer Ezzat received best director and late screenwriter Nadine Shams awarded for best scenario. Actress Oumayma El Sibai also received a certificate of appreciation from the festival s jury for her role in the film. Meanwhile, “Blue Elephant 2,” the sequel to mystery-thriller film “The Blue Elephant” (2014), won the award for best makeup, which went to Tarek Mostafa, best voice mixer awarded to Ahmed Abu El-Saad, and best costume designer for Nahed Nasrallah. The film s musical director Hisham Nazih received the award for the best score at the festival and Ahmed Hafez won the award for best film editing. Outside of the two top films, Mohamed Saad received the award for best actor in a leading role for the movie “The Treasure 2,” with Bassem Samra awarded best actor in a supporting role for “Rizk s Sons 2.” Maged Al-Kadwani received the “special jury award” for his role in the movie “The Guest,” directed by Hadi Al-Bagouri, and interior designer Ali Hussam received the award for best set design for the same film. Director of photography Ahmed Youssef received the award for best photography for the film “Scarecrow,” with “Between two seas ” winning “best film poster.” “The Guest,” which is directed by Hadi El-Bagoury and follows an eight-year-old Syrian girl displaced to Turkey, also received the highest number of votes from the public following the film screening, according to the festival s organizers, winning the festival s “audience award.” The artists are set to be honored with the festival s awards on February 8 at a ceremony set to be held in Muhammad Farid cinema on Cairo s Imad Al-Din Street.

The Cairo Opera House will present Tosca, an opera in three acts by legendary Italian composer Giacomo Puccini starting on Tuesday, as part of an initiative to perform the world s most famous classical works in Cairo, a statement from the Egyptian opera house said on Sunday. Tosca will be shown at the Cairo Opera House s Main Hall for four consecutive nights, starting at 8:00 pm on Tuesday, February 4. The performance, directed by Hisham El-Tally, will be accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra, led by Italian conductor David Crescenzi, the Cairo Opera Choir, and the children s choir of the Talents Development Center. The heart wrenching opera is based on Victorien Sardou s 1887 French-language dramatic play, “La Tosca” (1887), and revolves around events that took place in Rome in 1800 during the French invasion of Italy. The story centers around two protagonists in love: Mario Cavaradossi, a painter, and Floria Tosca, the soprano diva after which the opera is named. Mario vows to save Angelott, an escaped political prisoner hiding in the church where Mario is painting. When Scarpia, the police chief, arrives to the church, he becomes suspicious, arrests Cavaradossi and sends him to be tortured. Tosca only obtains her lover s freedom by agreeing to give herself to Scarpia. Before this happens, however, Scarpia signs a deed granting free passage to the two lovers while vowing to put Cavaradossi through a “mock execution.” But Tosca, unable to accept the price set by Scarpia, murders the police chief. The final scene of the iconic opera is set at Cavaradossi s mock execution, but when the smoke clears, Tosca hurries to her lover s body and finds – to her horror – that she has been tricked: Cavaradossi was dead. The realization prompts the tragedy s female lead to leap from a balcony to her death in the final moments of the opera. Tosca premiered in Rome in 1900 and explores themes of political intrigue, romance, and death set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. The opera s composer Puccini has produced several other notable works, including La Bohème (1896) and Madama Butterfly (1904).

Newly-founded Egyptian band Kahareb will be performing at Room Art Space on 13 February, where they will introduce "electrifying sound with storytelling and contemporary visual vernacular." Founded in 2018 by its lead singer Youssef Atwan and bassist Mokhtar El-Sayeh, Kahareb, who released four music videos starting with El-Sauce, are developing their audio/visual experience into live performances.

Egypt s Dokki Midemeanor Court handed actor Ahmed el-Fishawy a one-year prison sentence and LE500 fine and set his bail at LE 2,000, over his refusal to pay his daughter s expenses. Fishawy, his teenage daughter Lina, and the actor s former spouse Hend al-Hennawy have been embroiled in a series of court disputes since 2005. The Khalifa Family Court previously sentenced the actor, director and producer to one month in jail in August 2019 for refusing to pay LE 234,600 in alimony for his daughter, according to a statement from his ex-wife s lawyer Shaaban Said. The Family Court issued the one-month prison sentence based on a document submitted by Said proving that Fishawy, the star of Sheikh Jackson (2017), is financially capable of supporting his daughter Lina. Hennawy s lawyer said that Fishawy is now stuck between two choices: either pay his daughter s alimony or be imprisoned for an entire month, adding that the court sentence cannot be appealed. In a phone interview on the Egyptian TV program “Ana 7awa” (I am Eve) on Mehwar Channel, the lawyer stressed that Hennawy s family does not want to put her ex-husband, the son of late iconic star Farouk al-Fishawy, in jail or ruin his reputation, and so for his sake it would be best if he agreed to pay the alimony. Hennawy s lawyer also expressed a personal willingness to turn down all prior 16 lawsuits issued against Fishawy on behalf of his divorcee, in the event he pays the required money for his daughter. The lawyer mentioned that Farouk al-Fishawy, Hennawy s father-in-law, was devoted to his grandchild and “always keen” to defuse the ongoing tension between his son and Hennawy. Lina is currently studying abroad in the UK following a prior agreement between Lina s grandfather and her mother. In response to her father s sentence in August 2019, Lina commented on Instagram: “I am sad, I wish you were there for me like a father to his daughter.” Lina, who posted several photos and comments on Instagram following her grandfather s death, had been asked by social media why she was absent from her grandfather s funeral. Her answer on Instagram clarified that her father had obtained a judicial ruling from the court enabling him to prevent his daughter from returning to the UK in the event she visits Egypt.

The private theatre company Cairo Show will bring its musical comedy version of Aladdin to Egypt with a premiere on 6 February at their theatre in 6 October city. Directed by Magdy Al-Hawary, Aladdin is played by movie star Ahmed Ezz, while Tara Emad is in the role of Jasmine. Comedian Mohamed Tharwat plays the Genie, Samy Maghawry the Sultan, and Hisham Ismael the role of Jaafar The show premiered in Saudi Arabia in December as part of Riyadh Season, a programme of cultural and artistic events in the capital. The same producers and director have previously celebrated the first year of staging the play Talat Ayam Fil-Sahel (“Three Days on the North Coast”) starring comedian Mohamed Henedy. Cairo Show is also showing Yehia El-Fakharany s successful version of Shakespeare’s King Lear at its New Cairo venue. Disney’s live action version of Aladdin was released last year, grossing over $1 bilion dollars in worldwide box office receipts. The film, and its animated 1992 predecessor of the same name, is based on a Middle Eastern folk tale which was included in the famous collection Alf Laila wa Laila (“The Arabian Nights”).

Renowned Egyptian singer Ali El-Haggar will perform on 30 January at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Arts Centre. El-Haggar, 65, who has released new singles recently, will be singing some of his famous TV series themes and most memorable hits. El-Haggar, who received the 2019 Omani Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and Literature, is preparing a duet with Hanan Madi two decades after their smash collaboration in El-Mal wal-Banoon TV series theme. He has been one of the iconic singers in Egypt and the Arab world in the past four decades, collaborating with some of the leading Egyptian lyricists, such as Salah Jahin, Abdel-Rahman El-Abnoudy, and Sayed Hegab, in addition to some of the country s renowned composers from Baligh Hamdy and Sayed Mekkawy to Omar Khairat and Fathy Salama.

Goth-inspired pop innovator Billie Eilish cleaned up at Sunday s Grammys, winning all four major awards including the prestigious Album of the Year prize. The 18-year-old beat out stiff competition from viral hitmaker Lil Nas X and the year s most-nominated artist Lizzo. Eilish soared to mainstream stardom over the past year, after having won a fervent online following for her in-your-face pop sound that can get a little creepy at times, with haunting melodies and heavy bass. “Mainly I think the fans deserve everything. I feel like they have not been talked about enough tonight because they re the only reason any of us are here at all,” she said. “So thanks to the fans.” She shared her success with her older brother Finneas O Connell, her primary creative collaborator. “We just make music in a bedroom together,” said O Connell. “We still do that and they let us do that. (…) This is to all of the kids making music in your bedrooms today — you re going to get one of these.” Eilish also offered a shoutout to pop sensation Ariana Grande, saying she in fact deserved Album of the Year for “thank u, next.” The teen star was among the leading Grammy nominees at Sunday s gala — just 17 when the shortlists came out, she is the youngest person ever nominated in all of the top four categories. She scored a total of five awards on six nominations, including both Record and Song of the Year for “Bad Guy” — which made her the first musician born in the 2000s to top the Billboard Hot 100. In claiming the spot, she finally booted Lil Nas X, the country-trap sensation whose viral hit “Old Town Road” set a record of 19 weeks atop the US songs list. Eilish has been an outspoken advocate for action to tackle climate change, banning plastic straws at her shows and encouraging fans to bring their own refillable water bottles. The artist named Billboard s 2019 Woman of the Year has also written and will perform the theme song for the upcoming James Bond film “No Time To Die.” “I feel like I m not supposed to be here,” she told E! television on the red carpet before the gala. “Life is weird.”

The 46th Edition of the Egyptian Film Society Festival for Egyptian Cinema was inaugurated on January 25 at the Creativity Center in the Cairo Opera House, celebrating the January 25 revolution and the National Police Day. The opening ceremony, which started with the national anthem, was presented by critic Sherif Gad in the presence of a large number of media professionals, filmmakers, critics, and members of the film society. The festival began with director of cinematography Mahmoud Abdel Samea announcing the activities of this year s edition, dedicated to the late critic Youssef Sherif Rizkallah. One of the first members of the association since its inception, Rizkallah assumed the presidency of the Film Society in Cairo from 1980 until 1998, and was also the chairperson of the festival s sessions in that period as well. Samie said that he was happy with his presence among the jury, headed by critic Kamal Ramzy. The jury includes Hany Lashin, editor Rahma Montaser, director Mohamed Abu Saif, critics Osama Abdel Fattah, Magda Morris, Ola al-Shafie and Mohamed al-Rubi, interior design engineer Fawzy al-Awamry and photography director Mohamed Ossr. Actress Samiha Ayoub apologized for not joining the jury as she was busy filming a new series in Beirut. Artist Izzat al-Alayli also apologized for his inability to attend the committee due to unexpected commitments, as well as director Hala Khalil who apologized for not attending because of her travel outside of Egypt. Director Amr Abdel Aziz, head of the Art Syndicates Union, expressed his happiness at being present at the festival s opening, saying, “Today we celebrate a festival that has a long-established artistic value. I m happy to be present among the festival s body and filmmakers in this serious festival which seeks and deserves excellence“. Advisor to the Ministry of Culture Khaled Abdel Galil thanked all the attendees, specifically critic Kamal Ramzy, stressing that the Film Society was the reason generations knew about the cinema industry. The opening ceremony was attended by director Ashraf Tawfiq al-Deqn, producer Moataz Abdel Wahab, and other filmmakers. Certificates of appreciation were granted to eight filmmakers chosen through the 2019 Film Society poll on the 34 films produced in 2019. Samiha Ayoub will also be announced as honorary guest of the film festival. Eight filmmakers will compete for the festival s prizes, delivered through a referendum held by the festival s administration among the association s members, critics and specialists. Film screenings will be held daily at the the Artistic Creativity Center at the Opera House. The first film to be screened is “The Guest” by Hadi al-Bagoury, after which a discussion will be held by critic Rami al-Metwally in the presence of several filmmakers. On Sunday, “The Secret Men s Club” will be screened with discussions led by critic Ahmed Saad Eldin. Monday sees the screening of “The Passage”, with its discussion session to be run by critic Khaled Mahmoud. Tuesday is the screening of “The Blue Elephant 2”, with its discussion session headed by Ezzat Elbanna. “The Treasure 2” will be screened on Wednesday, with discussion headed by critic Mohammed Sayed Abdul Rahim. Next, on Thursday “Rizk s Sons 2” will be screened followed by a discussion session by critic Sayed Mahmoud. Friday will then feature the screening of “Scarecrow”, with discussions by critic Mohamed Abdel-Rahman. The festival concludes on Saturday, February 8 with the screening of “When We Are Born”, followed by a discussion session headed by critic Mohamed Nabil. The closing ceremony will be held at the Mohamed Farid cinema in City Center, where prizes will be distributed to the winners and a number of pioneers of Egyptian cinema will be honored – these include actors Ali al-Kassar and Tawfiq al-Daqin, scriptwriter Abu al-Saud al-Abyari and director Mamdouh Shoukry. Other names to be honored include director Dawood Abdel-Sayed, scriptwriter Waheed Hamid, musician Mounir Al-Wasimi, artist Lotfi Labib, interior designer Nihad Bahgat and critic Salah Hashem.

A new series based on the British royal family is coming to TV screens. And it s likely to be a world away from the stately realism of “The Crown Streaming service HBO Max said Tuesday that “Pirates of the Caribbean” star Orlando Bloom will voice the character of Prince Harry in “The Prince” — a new animated comedy series from “Family Guy” writer Gary Janetti. The series will be told from the point of view of the third in line to the throne, 6-year-old Prince George, as he navigates a very unusual childhood. The inspiration for “The Prince” comes from humorous posts on Janetti s Instagram page, which is filled with photos of George appearing to react to family and international news. News of the new show comes as the royal family is firmly in the spotlight following announcements that Harry and his wife, Meghan, would be standing down from their royal duties. “The Prince” will also feature George s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, his little sister, Princess Charlotte, his Aunt Meghan and Uncle Harry, and his great-grandparents, Philip and Queen Elizabeth II. Written and executive produced by Janetti, the animation will be voiced by some of Hollywood s own royalty. In addition to Bloom as Prince Harry, the series will feature Tom Hollander as both Prince Philip and Prince Charles, Alan Cumming as George s butler Owen and Iwan Rheon as Prince William. “I m thrilled to be working at HBO and bringing them yet another series about a family ruthlessly fighting for the throne,” said Janetti. There is no release date yet for the series. HBO Max, which is due to launch in spring 2020, is owned by WarnerMedia, the parent company of CNN.

Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Culture Enas Abdel Dayem will open on Wednesday the 51st edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, with representatives from seven ministries set to attend the opening ceremony and 40 countries to take part in the festival, the largest and oldest of its kind in the Middle East. Several ambassadors, including the Ambassador of Senegal, the “guest of honor” at the fair this year, will attend the opening of the festival as well. The General Egyptian Book Organization (GEPO) has increased the number of buses to 100 for transporting visitors from Cairo s main squares to the International Exhibition and Convention Center in the distant suburb of New Cairo, which first hosted the fair last year amid protests from some vendors. Entitled “Egypt-Africa, A Culture of Diversity,” the 51st edition of Cairo s world-renowned book fair has also increased the number of pavilions to 808, compared to 722 pavilions in 2019, and 900 Egyptian, Arab and global publishing houses are set to take part, in addition to 41 stalls affiliated with vendors from Cairo s historical used-book market Sour al-Azbakeya, which did not take part in the fair last year. The book fair will organize hundreds of various cultural and art activates, most of which will revolve around various African cultures.

The 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were presented Sunday, and it was a night that made history. “Parasite” became the first foreign language film to ever win the best ensemble award in a race that saw it competing against casts filled with Hollywood legends. Going into the night, the casts of “Bombshell,” “Marriage Story” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” lead film nominees with four each, while the “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” leads among television series. The awards are a peer honor, with actors honoring fellow performers. Robert De Niro received a Life Achievement Award for his work on screen and humanitarian accomplishments. The event airs live on TNT and TBS at Eight pm ET/Five pm. PT. A full list of winners follows below. Television Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Mahershala Ali, “True Detective” Russell Crowe, “The Loudest Voice” Jared Harris, “Chernobyl” Jharrel Jerome, “When They See Us” Sam Rockwell, “Fosse/Verdon” *WINNER Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Patricia Arquette, “The Act” Toni Collette, “Unbelievable” Joey King, “The Act” Emily Watson, “Chernobyl” Michelle Williams, “Fosse/Verdon” *WINNER Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us” Steve Carell, “The Morning Show” Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” *WINNER David Harbour, “Stranger Things” Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show” *WINNER Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown” Olivia Colman, “The Crown” Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve” Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid s Tale” Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Alan Arkin, “The Kominsky Method” Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method” Bill Hader, “Barry” Andrew Scott, “Fleabag” Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” *WINNER Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me” Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Catherine O Hara, “Schitt s Creek” Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Fleabag” *WINNER Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series “Big Little Lies” “The Crown” *WINNER “Game of Thrones” “The Handmaid s Tale” “Stranger Things” Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series “Barry” “Fleabag” “The Kominsky Method” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” *WINNER “Schitt s Creek” Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series “Game of Thrones“ *WINNER “GLOW” “Stranger Things” “The Walking Dead” “Watchmen” Motion Picture Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Christian Bale, “Ford v Ferrari” Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” Adam Driver, “Marriage Story” Taron Egerton, “Rocketman” Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” *WINNER Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet” Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story” Lupita Nyong o, “Us” Charlize Theron, “Bombshell” Renée Zellweger, “Judy” *WINNER Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Jamie Foxx, “Just Mercy” Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” Al Pacino, “The Irishman” Joe Pesci, “The Irishman” Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” *WINNER Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Laura Dern, “Marriage Story” *WINNER Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit” Nicole Kidman, “Bombshell” Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers” Margot Robbie, “Bombshell” Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture “Bombshell” “The Irishman” “Jojo Rabbit” “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” “Parasite” *WINNER Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture “Avengers: Endgame” *WINNER “Ford v Ferrari” “The Irishman” “Joker” “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”

Prominent Italian Ballet Troupe “Balletto di Milano” is set to stage the Cairo Opera house, performing “Anna Karenina” on January 22, 23 and 24 at the Main Hall. The event s description lists the show s costume designer as Federico Veratti, visual artist Marco Triaca and music by the legendary P.I. Tchaikovsky. The theatrical performance is adopted from acclaimed novelist Leo Tolstoy s story of Anna, Karenin s wife, a classy woman who happens to meet the bachelor Vronksy, delving into a relationship through which Tolstoy highlights the imperialism of Russian society. Dozens of characters in the story demonstrate love, betrayal, faith, passion and more. Established in Italy and supported by the country s Ministry of Culture, the Balletto di Milano is renowned for introducing a new “cultural phenomena” to the Italian community through its collaborations with international renowned theaters as well as dance festivals across the world. Balletto di Milano was the first ballet troupe to stage the iconic Bolshoi stage, artistically reviving numerous classics including Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet and more.

Over the last few days, Egyptian entertainment channel DMC released a series of short documentaries presenting the variety of art institutes in Egypt. The videos, whose lengths vary between five and 10 minutes each, come three months ahead of the submissions to those schools by potential students. The short documentaries provide the students with insights on the academies missions, their curricula, possible career paths and successes in Egypt and internationally. The videos feature a series of interviews with the schools deans, professors as well as a few of the most successful graduates who already work in the field of their specialisation. The schools featured in each documentary are: the High Institute of Art Criticism, the High Institute of Cinema, the High Institute of Ballet, the Arab Music Institute, the Cairo Conservatory, the Institute for Folkloric Arts, and the High Institute of Theatrical Arts. Many of these are located in a large campus for arts in Cairo or in its close vicinity. An introductory video presents a overview of the schools and history in Egypt. To view all the videos, please visit DMC YouTube channel s documentary section. DMC channel is a general entertainment channel that airs news and talk shows in addition to drama series. It started broadcasting in January 2017.

Egyptian actress Magda Al-Sabahi, whose years of glory marked Egypt s 1950s and 1960, died in Cairo after struggling with illness, Al-Ahram Arabic revealed. Born on 5 May 1939 as Afaf Ali (or Afaf Kamel Al-Sabahi) in Tanta (Gharbia governorate), the Egyptian star was better known as Magda Al-Sabahi, or simply Magda. Throughout three decades of her career, and prior to her retirement from acting, Al-Sabahi appeared in over 60 films, with the most notable roles being those in El-Naseh (1949), Malish had (1954), Hegret El-Rasoul, Ayna Omry (1957), Banat El-Yom (1957), Al-Ragol Allazy Ohebo (1962), El-Omr Lahza (1978), among many others. She played the leading role in Youssef Chahine s historical film Djamila l Algérienne (1958), which tackles the life of Djamila, one of the most remarkable revolutionary women of Algeria.