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- Stephanie was born in Cairo to an Austrian diplomat and a Syrian painter. They relocated to a different country every 3-4 years. She's lived in Egypt, Romania, Italy, Austria, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Jordan, and the US. Her middle name, pronounced "Noor", is the Aramaic word for "the first spark of light". She speaks fluent Arabic, German, Italian and English.
Nur graduated from the University of Stirling in Scotland with an MSc in Psychology with Honours, completing the master's degree in three years instead of five.
In 2011, she worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan, tasked with aiding the humanitarian response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
She started acting in the small theaters of Vienna, and was cast in her first film role in, Risse im Beton (Cracks in Concrete). The film was nominated at the Berlinale Film Festival, and also received an Austrian Film Academy Award in 2014.
Stephanie was cast in a supporting guest role in Taylor Sheridan's western drama series, 1883, opposite Sam Elliot. Sheridan cast her again in Special Ops: Lioness, this time with a major series-regular role in the successful CIA drama. She gained much praise and an ardent fan-base from her role as Aaliyah in Special Ops: Lioness. That same year she also received international recognition for starring in the third installment of the classic franchise, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.
In between jobs, she also translates scripts, subtitles, treatments and festival submissions, for film production companies in Europe. - Born in Egypt and raised in Germany, Hamada stumbled into acting following a sports injury which led him to study at the Oxford School of Drama in England where his love for the arts and theatre grew. He was cast in plays such as, Spinning Into Butter, Hamlet and Guantanamo at The West End and The Royal Court Theater in England. As Hamada continued his work in theatre, he started to dabble his way into film and television and appeared in the film Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow alongside Angelina Jolie. He then landed his first TV break in the mini-series "Path to 9/11" alongside Harvey Keitel and Donnie Wahlberg and soon became a series regular on "State of Mind" which paved the way for roles in critically-acclaimed shows, such as "Homeland" and "24" and the mini-series "The Dovekeepers". Hamada portrays Eammon on NBC's "Emerald City" and will appear next on the Starz upcoming series "Counterpart," an espionage thriller with a metaphysical twist. He is an avid Dahn-yogi and is also involved with "The Wolf Connection." a youth empowerment program and wolf dog sanctuary.
- Actor
- Producer
Zeeko Zaki was born on 18 January 1990 in Alexandria, Egypt. He is an actor and producer, known for Six (2017), 24: Legacy (2016) and Stuck in Love. (2012).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Mena was born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Markham, Ontario, Canada. He attended the University of Toronto for Neuroscience before transferring to Ryerson University's notable theater program and graduating with a BFA in acting. He got his first big break starring in ABC Spark & Teen Nick's mystery-drama television series "Open Heart" as "Jared Malik."
After several years of acting in high-profile television and film projects, Massoud went on to star as "Tarek Kassar" in the highly-anticipated series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan".
In 2018 it was announced that, after an extensive worldwide search and multiple auditions, he had landed the coveted role of "Aladdin" in the Disney live-action remake of "Aladdin," directed by Guy Ritchie.
After leading "Aladdin" to the highly coveted $1 Billion Dollar mark at the box office, Massoud went on to star in Netflix's "The Royal Treatment" which became its #1 film worldwide for several weeks in a row in 2022.
Outside of acting, he's passionate about staying active and healthy. Sports like basketball have always been an important part of his life. During his high-school years, he was a member of the Ontario Basketball Association. He also has a passion for recreational horseback riding and the environment.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Omar Sharif, the Egyptian actor best known for playing Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and the title role in Doctor Zhivago (1965), was born Michel Demitri Shalhoub on April 10, 1932 in Alexandria, Egypt to Joseph Shalhoub, a lumber merchant, and his wife, Claire (Saada). Of Lebanese and Syrian extraction, the young Michel was raised Catholic. He was educated at Victoria College in Alexandria and took a degree in mathematics and physics from Cairo University with a major. Afterward graduating from university, he entered the family lumber business.
Before making his English-language film debut with "Lawrence of Arabia", for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination and international fame, Sharif became a star in Egyptian cinema. His first movie was the Egyptian film The Blazing Sun (1954) ("The Blazing Sun") in 1953, opposite the renowned Egyptian actress Faten Hamamah whom he married in 1955. He converted to Islam to marry Hamama and took the name Omar al-Sharif. The couple had one child (Tarek Sharif, who was born in 1957 and portrayed the young Zhivago in the eponymous picture) and divorced in 1974. Sharif never remarried.
Beginning in the 1960s, Sharif earned a reputation as one of the world's best known contract bridge players. In the 1970s and 1980s, he co-wrote a syndicated newspaper bridge column for the Chicago Tribune. Sharif also wrote several books on bridge and has licensed his name to a bridge computer game, "Omar Sharif Bridge", which has been marketed since 1992. Sharif told the press in 2006 that he no longer played bridge, explaining, "I decided I didn't want to be a slave to any passion any more except for my work. I had too many passions, bridge, horses, gambling. I want to live a different kind of life, be with my family more because I didn't give them enough time.".
As an actor, Sharif had made a comeback in 2003 playing the title role of an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in the French film Monsieur Ibrahim (2003). For his performance, he won the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Actor César, France's equivalent of the Oscar, from the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma.
Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2012, Sharif died of a heart attack on July 10, 2015, in Cairo, Egypt.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Alex Proyas has moved effortlessly between helming TV commercials and music videos to feature films. Born to Greek parents in Egypt, Proyas relocated to Australia with his family when he was three years old. He began making films at age ten and went on to attend the Australian Film Television and Radio School along with Jane Campion and Jocelyn Moorhouse. Proyas collaborated with Campion on two of her shorts, A Girl's Own Story (1984), for which he wrote and performed a song, and Passionless Moments (1983), which he photographed. Proyas' own short, Groping (1980), had earned him some attention at festival screenings in Sydney and London. Also while still a student, the enterprising novice formed Meaningful Eye Contact, a production company. Spirits of the Air: Gremlins of the Clouds (1987) marked Proyas' feature debut as director and screenwriter. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the film, with its stylized production design and aural texture, was atypical of standard Australian fare, more closely resembling a longform music video. Critics admired the director's vision, but felt the overall result was lacking. Proyas continued to hone his craft helming TV advertisements for products like Nike, Nissan and Swatch (earning kudos from advertising associations in both Australia and England) and directing videos for such artists as Sting, INXS and Crowded House. In 1993 Proyas was tapped to helm the screen adaptation of James O'Barr's comic strip The Crow (1994). During production, star Brandon Lee died of an accidental gunshot wound (ironically, the film's story revolves around his character's resurrection). His death cast a pall over the remainder of the filming and its subsequent theatrical release, although reviews were generally favorably, most singling out the production values which created a colorless rain-soaked wasteland that invoked comparisons with Ridley Scott's seminal Blade Runner (1982) and Tim Burton's Batman (1989). Made for about $14 million, it grossed close to $50 million domestically. Proyas seemed set to move on to other projects and was announced as the director of Casper (1995), but left the project and was replaced by Brad Silberling. After a four-year absence he returned with another thriller, Dark City (1998), about an amnesiac who may or may not have been a serial killer. Garage Days (2002) marked Proyas' return to his homeland, Australia: the movie tells the story of a young Sydney garage band desperately trying to make it big in the competitive world of rock 'n' roll. In 2004 Proyas returned to Hollywood: he directed I, Robot (2004), a science-fiction film suggested by the 'Isaac Asimov' short story compilation of the same name that starred Will Smith. It was a box office success, but met with mixed reactions by readers and fans of the Asimov stories.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Amir El-Masry is a British award-winning actor. Born in Cairo, raised in London, after a chance meeting with the late Omar Sharif, Amir has had leading roles in Egyptian films, earning him Best Young Actor at the Egyptian Oscars in 2009 and national acclaim.
Shortly after graduating from LAMDA in 2013, Amir appeared in Jon Stewart's debut feature Rosewater. He has since starred in various critically acclaimed projects, establishing himself as an emerging British talent.
His breakout role came in early 2016 in the critically acclaimed mini-series "The Night Manager" alongside Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman for BBC and AMC.
Other notable credits include Woody Harrelson's live feature, "Lost in London," the critically acclaimed BAFTA nominated mini-series "The State," series regular role of Dante in the new BBC series "Age Before Beauty" and the lead in the first American Saudi feature "The Arabian Warrior" (aka "SHOOT").- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Amr Waked was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1972. He studied economics and theatre in the American University in Cairo. In his early experience as an actor Amr joined the Temple Theatre Troop in 1994, and Yaaru Theatre Troop in 1999, where he trained and developed his tools as a stage performer.
With his experience onstage, Waked managed to film his first role on the big screen in 1998 when he joined Ossama Fawzy's of "Gannet El Shayateen". Waked's award winning performance paved his way to become a popular actor famous for his gravity and vast range.
In 2003, Waked joined Stephen Gegan's cast of Syriana, which was his first appearance in an international film. His performance was acclaimed and presented him with other opportunities in international productions, like House Of Saddam and Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.
In 2005, Amr co-established "zad communication & production llc" to begin his experience as a producer. The communication agency and production house was to focus on developmental and social issues in Egypt and the Middle East. In 2012, zad produced its first feature film "Winter Of Discontent", directed by Ibrahim El Batout, which opened in the 69th Venice Film Festival in 2012.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Julian Fellowes was born on 17 August 1949 in Cairo, Egypt. He is a writer and producer, known for Gosford Park (2001), Downton Abbey (2010) and From Time to Time (2009). He has been married to Emma Joy Kitchener-Fellowes since 28 April 1990. They have one child.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Born in Egypt to Armenian parents, he was raised in Western Canada. Both his parents were painters, and he planned to be a playwright, but after making a short film, he became hooked on telling stories visually. Returned to ethnic "homeland" when he filmed Calendar (1993) in Armenia. Won attention at the Sundance Film Festival for earlier work, then broke through critically and commercially with Exotica (1994). Afterwards, The Sweet Hereafter (1997) led him to receive two Academy Award nominations, and then Chloe (2009) became his biggest moneymaker ever (after the film's DVD/Blu-ray release).- Actor
- Composer
- Additional Crew
Sammy Sheik was born in Alexandria, Egypt. His passion for acting drove him to leave home shortly after high school and move to New York to study theatre. He soon landed his first film role in the Albert Brooks' satire comedy "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World", playing Al-Jazeera executive "Mukhtar Al-Mujib." Sheik followed this with memorable roles in both film and television including recurring roles on Homeland, 24, United States of Tara and roles on Nikita, The Unit, NCIS and Lost, among others. Sheik's film credits include Attack On Darfur, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Charlie Wilson's War among others. In 2012, ten years after leaving Egypt, Sheik finally returned to work on a series called "Hekayat Banat", which heralds the beginning of his rising international career. In addition to his acting career, in 2010 Sheik was appointed goodwill ambassador to the Middle East for Y-Peer, a youth education network, pioneered by the United Nations Population Fund. Sheik travels the world on behalf of the organization which is active in more than 36 countries.- Actor
- Soundtrack
He is a graduate of the faculty of agriculture. He started his career in cinema in several films with actor Salah Zulfikar in 1960s, such as Talat loussuss (1966), Marti, mudir aam (1966) and Afrit merati (1968). Then he became more popular in theaters for his role in Madrasat Al Moshaghebin (School of Rascals). He became more famous in the 1970s for his comedic roles in Al-bahth an fadiha (1973) (Search for a scandal) and Khalli Balek min Aalak (Take care of your brain). He started to play far more serious roles in the 1980s. He is now one of the highest paid actors in Egypt.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Bassem Ra'fat Mohamed Youssef is an Egyptian cardiac surgeon, satirist, and the host of El Bernameg ("The Program"), a satirical news program broad casted by Egyptian television station Capital Broadcast Center (CBC). The press has compared Youssef with American comedian Jon Stewart, whose satire program The Daily Show inspired Youssef to begin his career. Bassem began his first satirical show in March 2011 in response to the Egyptian Revolution. Entitled The B+ Show, the program was uploaded to his YouTube Channel.[4] The show mainly consisted of satirical political programs via the Internet after the revolution of January 25. Bassem began his presentation on YouTube on March 8, 2011, with more than 108 episodes of the program. The episode view count has surpassed 15 million views on YouTube After the success of The B+ Show, Egyptian channel ONTV, owned by Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, offered Youssef a deal for El Bernameg (literally, "The Show").[5] The show premiered during Ramadan 2011 with Egyptian-American engineer Muhammad Radwan as its first guest.[6][7] Youssef has parodied Egyptian celebrities like talk show host Tawfik Okasha, composer Amr Mostafa, Salafist presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, and Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and onetime presidential candidate, in his show. Bassem Youssef was also hosted by Jon Stewart on his show on the 21st of June, 2012. The show "El Bernameg" was renewed for a second season after a contract with a second channel, CBC (Capital Broadcast Center) , which premiered on November 23rd, 2012. Just three episodes into the show, several lawsuits have been filed against Bassem Youssef and his show, mainly for "insult and defamation". On the season's premiere, Bassem made the owner and coworkers of his channel the subject of his show, as an assurance that he is granted full freedom of expression, and that no topic was off limits.[8][9] CBC did not, however air his second episode, which also featured further criticism of a TV show host who filed a lawsuit against Bassem. "The Show" was resumed, however on its third episode. The program, which began with a small group working at home with Youssef, moved from the smallest studio broadcasting on an Online TV Channel to the Cinema Radio downtown, a theatre redesigned in the likeness of New York's Radio City, where The program broadcasts in front of a live studio audience. The contents of a typical show's broadcast have evolved, which began with a sarcastic take on current political events, and eventually incorporating the hosting of public figures and stars from various fields, as well as various artists' performances- Actress
- Soundtrack
Nicola Pagett was born on 15 June 1945 in Cairo, Egypt. She was an actress, known for An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) and Anne of the Thousand Days (1969). She was married to Graham Swannell. She died on 3 March 2021 in London, England, UK.- Karim Abdel Aziz was born in Egypt on 17-8-1975. He was raised by his father the director Mohamed Abdel Aziz who has a valuable history in the Egyptian cinema; hence the technical environment in which he grew up had a prominent role in the ease of entry and work in the field of cinematography. Karim graduated from the Academy of Arts in 1997 as a director; he worked as an assistant director for a brief period until he discovered that he felt pleasure to stand in front of the camera and by then he decided to enter the world of acting.
- Damien Thomas was born on 11 April 1942 in Ismailia, Egypt. He is an actor, known for The Message (1976), Never Let Me Go (2010) and Shogun (1980).
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Dodi Fayed was born on 15 April 1955 in Alexandria, Egypt. He was a producer, known for Chariots of Fire (1981), Hook (1991) and F/X (1986). He was married to Susanne Gregard. He died on 31 August 1997 in Paris, France.- Anok Yai (December 20, 1997) is an Egyptian-born American fashion model of South Sudanese descent. She was born in Cairo and her family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire when she was 2. Her mother is a nurse and her father works for Easterseals; her sister Alim is her manager and a financial consultant. She graduated from Manchester High School West and attends Plymouth State University studying biochemistry, intending to become a doctor. Yai was discovered in October 2017 during Howard University's homecoming week, by a professional photographer who asked to take her picture. He posted the photo on Instagram, accruing over 20,000 "likes", and modeling agencies, including IMG Models, asked to get in touch with her. She eventually chose to sign with Next Model Management, who had called her daily for several weeks. Within 4 months, she became the first Sudanese model to open a Prada fashion show.
- Nicholas Courtney was born in Egypt, the son of a British diplomat. His early years were spent in Kenya and France and he was called up for National Service at the age of 18. After 18 months of duty in the British forces, Courtney joined the Webber Douglas drama school. He spent two years there and then did repertory theatre in Northampton. His next move was to London.
During the 1960s, he played some roles in popular TV series. In 1965, he made an appearance on Doctor Who (1963), during the tenure of William Hartnell. The director, Douglas Camfield, remembered him and, in 1967, cast him as "Captain Knight" in "Doctor Who" episode "The Web of Fear". He took the part of "Lethbridge-Stewart", which was to become his most famous role, when the actor originally cast in the part had to drop out. At this time, Patrick Troughton was the star of the series.
Shortly after this, Courtney was offered the chance to play the role regularly and accepted. This guaranteed him work until 1975, when the character was written out of the series. He became a good friend of Jon Pertwee during his time on the programme, and returned in 1983, 1988 and 1989. His other television work has included a comedy with Frankie Howerd. Courtney has maintained a close association with "Doctor Who", narrating the documentary Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDIS (1993) and attending conventions and appearing in spin-offs. - Patricia Healy was born in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for The Bodyguard (1992), Heat (1995) and Babylon 5 (1993). She has been married to Sergio Terrazas Torres since 3 July 2003.
- Director
- Cinematographer
- Editor
Ahmed is a talented professional who has made significant contributions to the entertainment industry. He collaborated with the Electronic Press Kit team for Netflix's "Paranormal" (2020), demonstrating his exceptional editor and line producer skills. Additionally, Ahmed showcased his passion for storytelling by successfully producing and directing his debut short film, "Just One Kiss" (2021). His dedication to honing his craft is evident through his Bachelor of Arts degree from the 6th of October University. With extensive experience as a line producer and photographer on various projects, Ahmed continues to impress and inspire in his role as a multifaceted producer.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Ahmed Helmy made his first big screen appearance in film Aboud on the Boarder (1999), in which he co-starred alongside Alaa Waley El Din. Ahmed, through his amazing breakthrough performance, and comic sense of humor, nabbed all the attention he needed in this film. He quickly made a jump to starring roles in films such as Umar 2000 (2000), The Headmaster (2000), _El Selem We Al Thoghban_.
Ahmed first started his career, when director Sherif Arafa was watching children's programme "Leighb Eyal" on the Egyptian Satellite Broadcast, Sherif found in Ahmed the comedian actor he needed for the starring role in Aboud Ala El Hedoud. He is a 1993 graduate of the Academy of Arts, High Institute for Theatre Art. He believes that the most sophisticated role he had done yet was in the film Omar 2000, especially the scene in which he had to bury a dear friend. Ahmed's idol is his father, he finds in him the idealism, kindness and wisdom. Ahmed also admires Ahmed Zaki for his enormous acting talent. As for the comedy, he adores Adel Emam and Samir Ghanem. Ahmed finds the trend of the cinema today, now known as the "Youth Cinema", can be judged only through audiences. 'After three or four days of screening a film, audiences would know and judge the film to be a success or no, it is a matter of supply and demand, commerce, film is a commodity which applies to the terms of supply and demand'.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gillian Hills was born on 5 June 1944 in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for A Clockwork Orange (1971), Wild for Kicks (1960) and Blow-Up (1966). She is married to Stewart Young.- Egyptian actor Khaled Nabawy managed to quickly grab audiences attention and film critics respect through his choice of material, following his discovery by famous director, Youssef Chahine. He presented Khaled as the Hollywood's way in making stars, he put him in the best view and allowed the camera to love him.
Khaled has already played comedian, dramatic and villain roles. He is a cinema lover, working about 12 hours daily to reach the role's depth
Forty-years ago. Youssef Shahin presented the new actor (Omar El Sherif) in (Struggle in the valley) 1954, and brought to light the first universal Egyptian star, and here he is doing it again in 1994 by presenting (Khaled El Nabawy) in the (Emigrant) and bringing to light a new universal star, He may pass all the expectancies. - Deena Nicole Cortese was born on 12 January 1987 in New Egypt, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress, known for Mike on Much in Conversation With... (2018), Jersey Shore (2009) and Fear Factor (2017). She has been married to Chris Buckner since 28 October 2017. They have two children.
- Actor
- Writer
Egyptian actor whose real name is Mohammed Ismail, was changed to the name to Youssef El Sherif in agreement with the director Sherif Sabri, when preparing for the film (7 cards), was born in Cairo, and graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Department of Mechanics Batch 2002, his debut in the film (Sabaa warakat kotshina) with Ruby, then took part in the film (open your eyes) in the role of a police officer with Mostafa Shaaban, and film ( Akher eldonia ) with actress Nelly Karim, then a movie (Chaos, This Is ), the last film of the director Youssef Chahine , Youssef got his first ultimate role in the film (El Alamy), which achieved a great success he played the role of a football player who dreams of professionalism, as he participated in Series (Cinderella) with Mona Zaki as Badrakhan, of the highlights of his work ( Citizen X, private number, Like Roses , Temporary Name , The Hunter, The Devil's Game)- Born to a Montenegrin mother, Tara Emad is an Egyptian actress with charming and distinguished Eastern-European features who started her career as a model, eventually becoming one of the most sought-after faces in commercials and fashion shows in Egypt and France.
The ever-radiant, striking, and accomplished actress starred in several hit TV series and films throughout her illustrious career, including, Adel Emam's TV series SAHEB EL SAA'DA (HIS EXCELLENCY) (2014).
Her other notable works include the dramas BEN AL SARAYAT and SABAA BANAT, and the widely-popular film EL-HARAM EL-RABE by Peter Mimi.
Afterward, she starred alongside Mohamed Adel Emam in the TV series LAM'IE EL OTT, which premiered in Ramadan 2017. Emad doesn't settle for roles that don't show off the breadth of her acting skills, making her earnestly selective when it comes to the projects she works on.
In 2018, she decided to give more attention to cinema, so she took part in Marwan Hamed's DIAMOND DUST, which brought in EGP 30m and came in second place at the Egyptian box office during the 2017 Eid Al-Adha season.
She also took part in EL KWAYSEEN by Ahmed El-Guindi, which earned more than EGP 20m.
She collaborated once more in 2019 with Hamed in THE BLUE ELEPHANT: DARK WHISPERS - one of the highest-grossing Egyptian films in the history of Egyptian cinema, generating over EGP 102m - in which she performed a complex range of body movements that she has never displayed in any of her previous roles.
Following that, she took part in the thriller film 122 by Yasir Al-Yasiri, starred alongside Ahmed Ezz as Jasmine in the musical comedy play ALADDIN, and participated in the short film Tamer Shabaan's SAMT (PAUSE) alongside Mona Hala. The short film was eventually screened at the Austin Film Festival.
In the Ramadan 2020 season, she co-starred with Yasmine Abdel-Aziz in the TV series W NEHEB TANY LEH, and in the following season, she starred in two serial dramas - MOUSA opposite Egyptian star Mohamed Ramadan and DED EL KASR (UNBREAKABLE) with Nelly Karim.
She also took part in ads for ZED Park and the 500500 Hospital Campaign.
Additionally, she participated in the Ramadan Gucci Show alongside a cast of pan-Arab superstars, including Saba Mubarak and Aseel Omran. The show was inspired by the classic soap operas of the 1980s and was written by Tamer Habib and launched in collaboration between Gucci and Mille.
The video brought together 10 actresses from five Arab countries including Tara, Youssra, Hend Sabri, Shereen Reda, Saba Mubarak, Nour, Huda El-Mufti, Fatima Al-Banawi, Mayan El-Sayed, Sarrah Abdelrahman, and TV presenter Raya Abirached. Furthermore, Emad graced the cover of many top-notch magazines, including Haya magazine - where she was styled by Gucci - Vogue Arabia, Marie Claire Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Sayidaty, and Jamalouki.
In 2014, She appeared on the cover of Elle Arabia's November issue, and Laha Magazine's August issue in collaboration with the prestigious Italian fashion house Fendi.
In 2021, she collaborated with Vogue Arabia, modeling the Miss Dior fragrance in their September issue and Harper's Bazaar. Her work in 2021 included SITTAT BAIT AL MAADI (WOMEN'S MAADI HOUSE) alongside Kinda Alloush, Injy El-Mokkaddem, and Sabry Fawaz. The series - which is now available on Shahid - is the Arabic version of the successful American series WHY WOMEN KILL.
As for 2022, she worked on WATCH IT's original series TAHQEEQ (INVESTIGATION) alongside Ahmed Malek and Huda El-Mufti, as well as the Arabic version of smash-hit US drama SUITS starring Asser Yassin, Ahmed Dawood, and Saba Mubarak, which was launched during the Ramadan season.
Also, in the same year, Tara shared the stage with Ahmed Ezz in Mohamed Mohamady's play HADI VALENTINE, which was performed during the Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia.
Her most recent work was El MATAREED with Ahmed Hatem and AKHI FAWK EL SHAGARA with Ramez Galal, and she made a guest appearance in the 15-episode TV series MYSTERY BOX, which was aired during the Ramadan 2023 season on Shahid.
As for her upcoming projects, Tara is currently working on BEIT EL RUBY with Karim Abdel Aziz. She's also involved in several projects coming up in the pipeline, including El-Sobky's YEHIA with Ahmed Hatem once again, EL GAWAHERGY alongside star Mohamed Henedy and Mona Zaki.
Not content with limiting herself to one field, Tara is also an accomplished brand ambassador and has represented several famous brands over the years, including Bvlgari, Channel, Michael Oro Jewellery, and Yves Saint Laurent. Emad teamed up with the celebrated Azza Fahmy Jewelry trademark to be their brand ambassador for the new 2021 summer collection - El-Nur - as well.
The stunning actress was also selected by Cartier to serve as its brand ambassador in the Middle East since 2022, making her the only Egyptian celebrity representing the brand currently. Moreover, she participated in Cartier's Panthère de Cartier show in Dubai and the jewelry giant's 2023 Ramadan campaign.
Moreover, Tara is Chanel Beauty's first Middle Eastern brand ambassador and starred in their first AD campaign in the Middle East in 2022.
Most recently, Vanity Fair named Tara Emad one of the six most influential women in the Middle East during a gala dinner hosted by the Red Sea International Film Festival at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.
Given her accomplishments, Tara has become a regular at major international film festivals like the Cannes International Film Festival and Red Sea International Film Festival, even getting selected as a jury member at the PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival that was held by the IOM and the UN. - Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Souad Muhammad Kamal Hosny Al Baba was born on January 26th, 1942 in Ataba, Cairo, Egypt. She was the 10th sibling of 17 brothers and sisters. Husni was known as the "Cinderella" of Arab cinema and one of the most influential actresses in the Arabic art world. She ascended to stardom in the end of the 1950s, performing in more than 83 films between 1959 and 1991. A majority of her films were shot in the 1960s and 1970s. Souad was nicknamed the "Cinderella" of Arab Cinema and was one of the most influential female icons in the Arab Acting World. She first ascended into stardom in the late 1940s with her debut in "Hassan & Naima," which was the Arabic version of Romeo and Juliet. She performed in more than 83 films between 1948 and 1991... majority of them being in the 1960s and 1970s. Some famous include "Saghira El Hob," "Khally Balek Min ZouZou," and many more! And, in many of her films she acted alongside many famous actors like Hussein Fahmy, Salah Zulfikar and Roshdy Abaza, and the late belly-dancing legend Taheya Karioka. Souad was also infamous for her love affairs and many marriages which always ended in failure and divorce. Sadly, on June 22nd, 2001, she fell from a window from her best friend's London flat and died. Ironically, the same day as Abdel Halim Hafez's birthday, the one she loved.
Her final screen appearance was 10 years before in 1991, with the movie "Al Ra'i We El Nissa." To this day, she goes down as one of the most legendary and most classically beautiful actresses in Middle Eastern history.- MOHAMED KARIM established an acclaimed Film & TV acting career between Egypt and the United States. Karim finished high school in Los Angeles where he was inspired by Hollywood film making at an early age. His passion for cinema did not prevent him from following his family's footsteps to study medicine in Cairo and become a doctor as well.
After establishing a successful acting career in Egyptian films and TV series, Karim returned to Los Angeles to study acting in Hollywood, with his eyes on internationalism. Recently he achieved a huge success by hosting the well known international entertainment show "THE VOICE" in the Middle East on MBC channels. Won the Best Actor award in Monaco International Film Festival for his British Film "Facebook Romance". He toured renowned world festivals with his Egyptian acclaimed films as "Shahata's Store" and "Stolen Kisses" among others and won several regional and international Best Actor awards from San Francisco, Alexandria, the Egyptian Oscars, and the Arab Film Festival in California. His films were also shown and sold out in Diaspora and Tribeca Film Festivals in New York and in the Los Angeles Film Festival, Arab Film Festival in California. Karim also participated in the Oscars and in the American Film Market in Los Angeles - California.
After wrapping a starring role in the American independent film Storm, Karim has recently signed to star in upcoming American and European projects including "Desert Crossing"; and three British films: Tarot, Blooded and One Love.
It all started when Mohamed was chosen to do the lead role for the well Known T.V series "BENT AFANDINA" that was about the revolution in 1952 in EGYPT until 1970 which is the period between King Farouk till president Anwar Sadat. This TV Series was his gate to spread all over Egypt and The Middle East, were he won THE BEST ACTOR AWARD for it in 2004.
Mohamed graduated from FACULTY OF MEDICINE At AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY In Cairo and obtained his MASTER'S DEGREE in Physical Medicine, Obesity and Weight Reduction. He also completed the Actors Boot Camp Program at THE ACTING CORPS IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA-USA.
TV PRESENTER: " THE VOICE " : 2012, Hosted the Arabic version of the popular singing competition " THE VOICE ", which airs on MBC CHANNELS.
He exchanged hobbies and professions several times as he participated in many fashion shows as a model then as a modeling director where he won the BEST MODEL AWARD of the year 1999 as he graduated from EN VOGUE MODELING SCHOOL, ALSO music plays a big part of his life as he enjoy listening Arabic, English, Spanish and French music.
He likes traveling and visiting other countries where he visited FRANCE, GERMANY, HOLLAND, ITALY, SPAIN, UNITED KINGDOM, U.S.A, CANADA, MEXICO, THAILAND, LEBANON, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAQ,SWITZERLAND,ALGERIA, AUSTRIA, SUDAN, UNITED ARAB OF EMIRATES and QATAR.
Through out his entertainment / media career in acting T.V presenter, Modeling, He always had a dream to act in a huge production movie to let out his love and passion for acting and to use his rich knowledge that he gained in cinema industry in a beneficial film that helps him express his love in acting to reach the viewers. - Actor
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Arab American Actor Sayed Badreya, realized a childhood dream by winning roles in major Hollywood films such as Iron Man, The Insider, Three Kings, and Independence Day. He's also a renowned advocate for human rights and enriching the American culture through films and television. His journey to the big-screen, however, was not easy. Sayed's story is one of perseverance, belief, and beating the odds. Born in 1957 in Port Said, Egypt, Sayed grew up in poverty but had dreams and aspirations of movie stardom from a young age. Although the prospect of him ever making it to Hollywood felt as bleak as realizing peace in the Middle East, he felt an undeniable pull towards acting, believing that he was cut out for something more. He used the movie theater as a child as an escape from the war-torn Middle Eastern atmosphere he was born into. It was at the movie theater where he discovered the transformational magic of film and where he determined that he was destined to be a part of that magic. Sayed moved to the United States and attended New York University film school before moving out to Hollywood to pursue his acting career. His career in the film industry first began as an assistant to actor/director Anthony Perkins, and then with director James Cameron on the film, 'True Lies.' Badreya had a clear mission; he wanted to make movies that told the Arabic-American story, since it had yet to be told. This mission led him to creating a production company of his own, 'Zoom In Focus.' Under this banner, he directed and produced the documentary, 'Saving Egyptian Film Classics' as well as 'The Interrogation', which won Best Creative Short Film at the New York International Film Festival. He also produced and starred in a short film called, 'T for Terrorist', which was awarded Best Short Film at the Boston International Film Festival and the San Francisco World Film Festival. Sayed's efforts to bring attention to Arab-Americans in the motion picture industry has received much coverage and media attention over the years on radio, television, and in major publications around the world. Media outlets such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, GQ, NPR, ABC's Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, BBC's Panorama, CNN, Fox Report with Shepard Smith, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Egypt Today, and more have chronically Sayed's inspiring message and journey. Movies and Acting Roles Sayed has made appearances in over 65 movie and television roles throughout his career. He's shared scenes with some of Hollywood's top actors including Al Pacino, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr., and Jackie Chan. He's also had the pleasure of working with some of the best directors in the business including Michael Mann, Peter Farrelly, Jon Favreau, and Oliver Stone. Aside from his acting roles, he's worked as an Arabic dialect coach and as an Islamic technical advisor on Path to 9/11, a $40 million dollar mini-series about the events leading up to 9/11 produced by ABC/Touchstone. It was in 2007 that he landed his first leading role in the English language motion picture, 'American East', a film that he also co-wrote. 2008 was Sayed Badreya's breakout year. He captivated audiences as Abu Bakaar, the villainous arms dealer who kidnaps Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the summer blockbuster, 'Iron Man.' That same year, Sayed also played the comedic Palestinian cab driver opposite Adam Sandler in 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan'. In 2009, Sayed was featured in Paramount Pictures' feature film 'El Traspatio' aka 'Backyard,' directed by Oscar-nominated Carlos Carrera, in which he plays a serial killer opposite Ana de la Reguera. Sayed also found himself in 'Movie 43,' where he plays opposite Halle Berry. Additional films in 2009 include; 'The Three Stooges,' his fifth film with the Farrelly brothers; 'The Dictator,' playing Sacha Baron Cohen's father as the original dictator, and 'Just Like a Woman', with Oscar-nominated director Rachid Bouchareb. In 2011, he completed his second leading role in the New York independent feature, 'Cargo,' about human traffickers, directed by Yan Vizinberg. That same year he also co-starred opposite Oscar-winning actress Melissa Leo in the film 'The Space Between,' directed by Travis Fine. 2017 brought Sayed Badreya the well-deserved honor of winning the Best Actor award from the 13th edition of Action on Film Festival in Las Vegas for his role in the movie 'Aileron.' In 2018 Sayed Badreya received a 'Life Achievement Award' at the Boston International film festival to commemorate his lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through films and television. 2019 has been one of Sayed's most successful years yet. He shot 'Vanguard' opposite Jackie Chan, signed a 2nd season for 'Apple & Onion, a US animated television series created for Cartoon Network, and co-starred in an Egyptian television Series, 'Winter 2006.' Additionally, his short film, Al-Masry Life, won the Best Short Film award from the 15th annual Action on Film International Film Festival. As of 2020, Badreya had a new project in the works, a film about human trafficking called 'What About Her,' which exposes Beverly Hills' and Bel Air's dirty little secret: young maids who are secretly enslaved by rich and powerful Arabs and diplomats in some of LA's wealthiest neighborhoods.- Nelly Karim is an Egyptian actress, fashion model and ballerina. She was born December 18, 1974 in Alexandria, Egypt for An Egyptian father and Russian Mother. Nelly Karim has drawn attention for her 2006 refusal to portray "seductive roles". She won Best Actress award in the Cairo International Film Festival in 2004 for her role in Enta Omry. She also won Jury Grand Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards for her role in 678 and Best Actress at the Arab Film Festival in 2012 for 678.Nelly Karim has four children, the last of which was born in 2011.
- Ahmed Ezz is often described as "the most versatile actor in the Middle East," with numerous accolades in his professional career spanning over 20 years and over 30 Film/TV prolific credits to his name. Ezz is one of the few actors from his region known for crafting originality in the characters he plays. His popularity stems from his versatility as an actor in comedy, drama, thriller and action film and television. In 2022, he starred in the epic action drama "Kira & El Gin" which became the highest grossing Egyptian film in the Middle East, where he received the prestigious "Favorite Actor" Award at Saudi Arabia's Joy Awards in 2023.
- Egyptian actor Mohamed Emam was born on December 16, 1984 and graduated from the American University in Cairo. He first began his career in the arts as a child when he starred alongside his father Adel Emam in the film "Hanafi El Abha" (The Magnificent Hanafi) in 1990. In 2003 he appeared in the well-known series "Canaria wa Shariko" (Canaria and Co,) and later in a number of films including: "Amaret Yacoubian" (The Yacoubian Building) (2006) and "Hassan wa Marcos" (2008). His first film as the main protagonist was "Al Beeh Romansy" (The Romantic Bey) in 2009. He has continued to act in various television series including: "Bilshama'a El Ahmar" (Red Tape) (2010), "Firqet Naggy A't Allah" (Naggy A't Allah's Squad), and "Khatut Hamra" (Red Lines) (2012).
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Kal Abol Naga (aka: Khaled Abol Naga) is a Multi Award-winning Actor, Producer, and Director from Egypt, based between the USA and Europe. He is a well-established actor (movie star) in the middle-east and considered one of the top talents of his generation, his work extends from Film, TV, Theatre, to Radio and TV hosting. He has been a lead in feature films since his first lead role in "A Citizen, An Informant & A Thief" by Egyptian acclaimed director Daoud Abdel Sayed in 2001.
As an actor he collected numerous Best Actor Awards from Egypt, Middle East, European & International Film Festivals since 2001, culminating in 2014 with a historic winning of ALL-important Best Actor Awards offered in his home country Egypt (The Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt's National Film Festival, Film Society Festival for Egyptian Cinema & The Catholic Centre festival for Egyptian Cinema) for his critically acclaimed portrayal of a terminally ill older man: Hussein in "Villa 69". In the same year, Abol Naga won The Best Actor Award (Silver Pyramid) from the prestigious Cairo International Film Festival CIFF for his lead role as a Palestinian father searching for his daughter in the Palestinian Oscar's submission "Eyes of a thief", as well as other several regional awards for "Villa 69" including the Best Actor Award from Festival Cinema Africain Khouribga, Morocco.
Abol Naga's English speaking work started gaining momentum since he moved to California in 2017, where he appeared in main roles as (Al Kady) in the FX (Fox) TV show "Tyrant", then his enigmatic appearance in the BBC TV mini-series "The Last Post", to a much-celebrated guest-star appearance as the multi-lingual historic leader (Ziyadat-Allah) at The History Channel TV show "Vikings" in season 5, 2019.
In a film festival in 2016 celebrating Arabic film submissions to the Oscars, Abol Naga was honored for being the most submitted actor from the MENA region in film submissions to the The Oscars (The Academy Award) for Best Foreign Language Film. He is often tagged in western media as Egypt's "Brad Pitt" for their career similarities, Also tagged as the next "Omar Sharif" especially after his American debut movie Civic Duty in 2007, he was also tagged as "Egypt's International treasure" for his multiple talents and unprecedented courage advocating for freedom & justice in his home country Egypt as a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador. Abol Naga's successful career across the Middle-east started in TV networks as a TV & Radio host in prime-time shows as early as 2000.
Famous for his unexpected yet smart choices of scripts & roles, Abol Naga created a vast & diverse filmography with unprecedented wide acclaim from critics & audiences throughout the Arab & international film societies, creating a unique phenomenon in his generation; almost all of his major films have an "exportable" nature to other cultures with special notice to his performances.
Abol Naga as a Producer since 2009, created with others a new wave of possibilities in the Egyptian independent film industry, from co-producing "Heliopolis" 2009 which went on to feature in over a dozen festivals, to his revolutionary production of "Microphone" 2010 in which a new generation of DSLR cameras were used for the first time to shoot a theatrically released feature film, He founded "iTeam Cairo" agency which aims to help indie filmmakers.
Abol Naga is well known for his social and human rights advocacy, He has been one of the early outspoken icons from Egypt promoting social justice, freedom and democratic change to the Arab world in general and Egypt in specific, He played a pivotal role in supporting the Egyptian Revolution Jan 25'th 2011. he has a very admirable work record of social & human rights (especially child rights), He was appointed as a UNICEF UN Goodwill Ambassador in Egypt 2007 till 2015.
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Naga's American debut was in 2006's Civic Duty (2006) in which he gave a compelling portrayal of one of the two leads "Gabe Hassan" he made numerous films in his native Egypt. Here is how it all began ...
Since his first major public appearance as a TV late-night show host in 1999, It was only a matter of few roles to reach an Award-winning star status in Egypt.
He studied Tele-communication Engineering and graduated with honors from Ain Shams University, Cairo, one of the most prestigious Engineering schools in Egypt, meanwhile Water polo as his hobby grew fast to become almost a profession when he was chosen to play in Egypt's national Water polo team as its Goal Keeper, But it was his other passion of acting & singing at the Theatre Department of The American University in Cairo that grew with him gradually to become his chosen final career.
Exchange of hobbies and professions happened several times: First when Water polo became the main focus for him 1986-1989, then Spacecrafts and Tele-Communications research at The The University of Surrey in the UK in 1991, while playing Water polo for his varsity team in European tournaments. He also worked as a Fashion Catwalk Model and a fashion photographer.
In 1999 another switch happened when he (as a famous young face & well established catwalk model in Egypt) was offered to Host a TV program at Nile Variety Channel as a part of a new TV pan-Arab Network inaugurated by state-owned ERTU in Egypt. He became the talk of the the nation with his new fresh style of TV hosting. He hosted and interviewed all kinds of celebrities, regional and international. Naga left the Nile Variety channel in October 2000, joined MBC TV Network in June 2001.- Director
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Youssef Chahine (born in Alexandria, Egypt, 1926) started studying in a friars' school, and then turned to Victoria College until the High School Certificate. After one year in the University of Alexandria, he moved to the U.S. and spent two years at the Pasadena Play House, taking courses on film and dramatic arts. After coming back to Egypt, cinematographer Alevise Orfanelli helped him into the film business. His film debut was Baba Amin (1950): one year later, with Son of the Nile (1951) he was first invited to the Cannes Film festival. In 1970, he was awarded a Golden Tanit at the Carthage Festival. With Le moineau (1973), he directed the first Egypt-Algeria co-production. He won a Silver Bear in Berlin for Alexandria... Why? (1979), the first installment in what proved to be an autobiographic trilogy, completed with Hadduta Masriya (1982)(An Egyptian Story (1982)) and Alexandria: Again and Forever (1989).
In 1992, Jacques Lassalle proposed him to stage a piece of his choice for Comédie Française: Chahine chose to adapt Albert Camus' "Caligula," which proved hugely successful. The same year he started writing Al-mohager (1994), a story inspired by the Biblical character of Joseph, son of Jacob. This had long been a dream-project, and he finally got to shoot it in 1994. In 1997, 46 years and 5 invitations later, he was again selected Hors Competition in Cannes with Destiny (1997).- Actor
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Ahmed Zaki was born on 18 November 1949 in Zaqazeeq, Egypt. He was an actor and producer, known for Days of El-Sadat (2001), Nasser 56 (1996) and His Excellency the Minister (2002). He was married to Hala Fouad. He died on 27 March 2005 in Cairo, Egypt.- Ahmed Malek Mostafa (born 29 September 1995) is an Egyptian actor. His first audition came at the age of eight when his uncle took him to perform in a commercial. In 2005, Malek had his first role in the TV series "Ayamna el helwa" (Our Good Days). A few years later, he played a small role in "Mafish Fayda", starring Moustafa Amar and Basma. Shortly after, executive director Osama Farid asked Malek to perform the role of young Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the TV series El-Gamaah (2010) (The Brotherhood), which is considered the then-15-year-old's first breakthrough role.
After the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, Malek disappeared for a short time, as he decided to focus on political and revolutionary activism. When director Gamal Abdel Hameed offered him the role of a young Egyptian revolutionary activist in the TV series "Al-shaware'a al-khafiya" (The Backstreets) - starring famous actors Jamal Soliman, Layla Olwi, Sami El-Adl and Gihan Fadel - he could not resist.
In 2012, director Mohamed Samy offered Malek the role of Ahmed, a stammered teenage addict in his series Ma'a Sabq Alesrar (2012). With his newfound success in the role, Samy nominated Malek to play the role of a troubled teen in his new TV series Hekayet Hayah (2013) for which he won a DG award for Best Young Actor in 2013. Seeing Malek's impressive performance, renowned Egyptian director Sherif Arafa asked him to audition for a pivotal role in the much-anticipated sequel of his movie El-Gezirah (2007). The sequel, The Island 2 (2014), propelled Malek towards regional stardom in the Middle East and after which he become one of the most successful and sought-after Egyptian actors of his generation. He would later find international fame with roles in critically acclaimed films such as Clash (2016), Sheikh Jackson (2017) and Leil Khargi (2018) - all of which have been selected to represent Egypt in international film festivals and award circuits. - Actress
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Faten Hamama (known as "The Lady of the Arabic Screen") has become an icon and the most important actress of Egyptian and Arabic cinema. She is also the most honored actress in the Middle East. Every decade of her life represents a new era of acting and witnessed the reshaping and progression of Egyptian cinema. The progress in her different characters when she started as a child in 1938 until today parallels the progress that modern Egyptian women have made during the 20th century and their interaction with the public, culture or political life. During the celebration of 100 years of Egyptian cinema on 1996, she was chosen as the country's most important actress, and 18 of her films were selected as among the best 150 made to that time. It was no surprise that in 2000 the Egyptian Organization of Critics and Writers named her the Star of the Century.
She was born in 1931 in Elmansoura, Egypt, the daughter of Ahmed Hamama, an employee of the Egyptian Ministry of Knowledge. Her legendary journey started as a secret statement between a six-year-old girl and her father after they watched a film in their neighborhood theater, at which leading actress and producer Asya Dagher was present. Faten told her father that she felt the audience was applauding for her as the leading actress, and her father gave her a hug with a vision of helping his daughter to become a movie star. She won a contest for the most beautiful child in Egypt, and her dad sent her picture to director Muhammad Karim (a pioneer of Egyptian cinema). Karim was looking for a child for his new film with Egyptian musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Faten auditioned for and got a role in this movie, Yom said (1940) ("A Happy Day"). She impressed the filmmakers so much during shooting that she was actually given more lines and scenes in the picture than were originally scripted for her. Karim put her under contract, and four years later he gave her a role in a film with Mohamed Abdel Wahab again, Russassa fil kalb (1944) ("A Bullet in the Heart"). With her third movie with Karim, Dunia (1946), Faten showed filmmakers and audiences alike that she was was an actress ready for bigger roles. Her father, along with her family, moved to Cairo to help her in her career. She also began studying her craft at the High Institute of Acting in 1946.
With actor and director Youssef Wahbi (known as the dean of Egyptian theater), Faten started a new stage of her career, in melodramas. Yousef saw her talent in Karim's movies and was able to showcase it to even better advantage in his next film, Malak al rahma (1946) ("The Angel of Mercy"), in which she played his daughter. Although only 15 years old at the time, it was generally agreed that she stole the film. This teenager was soon the talk of the Egyptian cinema, and her star hasn't set since then. She made more films with Wahby, such as Confession Chair (1949) ("The Chair of Confession"), in which she played a lover of the cardinal's brother who mistakenly goes to jail for her father's murder. She had another box-office hit with El yatimatain (1948) ("The Two Orphans"), followed by a successful comedy of the travails of a wife and her mother in law in Sitt el beit (1949) ("The Lady of the House"). She was the favorite of novelists because she could attract the best writers and directors to a project, and it wasn't soon before her name alone would pretty much guarantee success for whatever film she was in.
The 1950s brought new directors to Egyptian cinema and was the beginning of what was to become known as "The Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema". Faten appeared in a number of films by these new directors, such as Salah Abouseif's first realism picture, Laka yom ya zalem (1951) ("Your Day Will Come"), which was a box-office hit and was shown at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. She appeared in such successful films as El tarik el masdud (1958) ("The Barred Road") and won a Best Actresss award for her performance in the romantic political movie La wakta lil hub (1963) ("No Time for Love"). She also supported director Youssef Chahine in his first movie, Baba Amin (1950), then again in his even more successful The Blazing Sun (1954), a realistic work that was also featured at the Cannes Film Festival (Youssef is on record as saying that Faten is his favorite actress and the best Egyptian actress of all time).
She also worked with director Kamal El-Shaikh in his first movie, which introduced the mystery genre to Egyptian cinema, House No. 13 (1952) ("House No. 13"), and again in Lan aataref (1961) ("I Will Not Confess"). Their film El-Lailah el-Akhirah (1963) ("Last Night") captured at least 10 awards in the 1965 national competition and was also shown at the Cannes festival. She excelled at comedy, as evidenced by her astonishing role in El-Ustazah Fatmah (1952) as lawyer Fatma. She also worked closely with two other directors of this period, Ezz El Dine Zulficar and Henry Barakat, and made successful films with both. In fact, she married Zulficar in 1947 while shooting Abu Zeid el Hilali (1947). He was known as the king of "romantic" movies and together they worked to further that vision, as in Khulud (1948) ("Immortality") by Ezz El-Dine Zulficar. They formed a production company and made Moawad ma al hayat (1953) ("Appointment with Life") also directed by Ezz El Dine Zulficar, which was voted movie of the year and received both critical and box-office success (it was this film that caused critics to name her the "Lady of the Arabic Screen", a title she has kept to this day). Faten soon became the highest-paid actress in Egyptian cinema, and remained so until her final feature, Ardh el-Ahlam (1993) ("Land of Dreams") and TV series, Wagh el qamar (2000) ("Face of the Moon"). More successful romantic roles with Ezzel Dine followed, such as Mawad ma al saada (1954) ("Appointment with Happiness"). It was during this period that Ezz El-Dine Zulficar made his famous quote about Faten: "The distance between Faten and the next runner-up is like the distance between 1 and 10". Although they were divorced in 1954, and Faten married Omar Sharif in 1955, she and Ezz El Dine Zulficar continued to make films together, many of which are considered classics of Egyptian romantic cinema, such as Bain el atlal (1959) ("Among the Ruins") and what many consider their masterpiece, Nahr el hub (1960) ("The River of Love"), their version of Lev Tolstoy's great story "Anna Karenina", opposite Omar Sharif, and the two became one of the classic romantic couples of Egyptian cinema, appearing again in Our Best Days (1955) ("Our Best Days"), Sayedat el kasr (1958) ("Lady of the Castle"), Sleepless (1957) ("Sleepless") and The Blazing Sun (1954) ("Struggle in the Valley"). Sharif and Faten divorced on 1974. He made what became a famous statement about Faten, that he only married once because he only loved once, and that was Faten.
Director Henry Barakat specialized in musical romantic movies, social commentary and women's rights in society. During the making of Lahn al khouloud (1952) ("Immortal Song"), they developed a close professional bond, and Barakat used Faten to explore all his talent and all his visions. The success of the romantic musical Lahn al khouloud (1952) that became the movie of the year challenged both of them to make more successful musical romantic films, which they did with such pictures as Daiman maak (1954) ("With You Forever") and Mawad gharam (1956) ("Appointment with Love"). IT was with Barakat that Fatan made her most famous and beloved picture, with her role as Ammna in Doa al karawan (1959) ("The Nightingale's Prayer"), which describes differences between revenge and culture through a romantic story. It was nominated for Best Film at Berlin's International Film Festival and almost made it to the Oscars in the US. This film was chosen as one of best ten movies ever made in Egypt. After this picture Faten made several more films that promoted women's rights in society and created more cultural awareness, such as El bab el maftuh (1963) ("The Open Door"), for which she received the Best Actress award at the Jakarta (Indonesia) International Film Festival. One year later they did it again in El haram (1965) ("The Sin"), which was shown at the Cannes festival that year and was chosen as one of best five movies ever made in Egypt. Faten and Barakat continued their journey together through decades for more outstanding roles as Kheit al rafeigh, -al (1971) ("The Thin Thread"), Mouths and Rabbits (1977) ("Mouths and Rabbits"); Faten won Best Actress awards from two international festival for her role in this movie, and it was the highest-grossing Egyptian film ever made until that time. Their last picture together was a remarkable hit, Leilet al quabd al Fatma (1984) ("The Night of Fatma's Arrest"). Their journey was crowned by a lifetime achievement award for their films together from the Montpellier International Film Festival on 1993. Barakat's was quoted as saying, "If I could get Faten in my films, I will guarantee us the best picture".
Faten left Egypt from 1966-1971 because she resisted political pressure that was applied to her. She divided her time between Lebanon and London, England. During this period Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser asked some prominent critics and writers to try to persuade her to return to Egypt, saying that "Faten Hamama is a national treasure". Her return to Egypt on 1971 breathed life back into Egyptian cinema. She insisted that her films reflect the values of the society through the family relationships. Her first film upon return was Sahera (1971) with Salah Zulfikar. Her role in Imberaturiyyat Mim (1972) ("Empire M") as a widow with six children and the struggles she endured to raise them made the film a success both critically and financially, and she earned a special award from an organization of Soviet Union women when the film was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival. Her film Orid hallan (1975) ("I Need a Solution") which was produced by Salah Zulfikar was not only a big hit but resulted in changes to Egyptian marriage and divorce laws. Faten won the Best Actress award at the Cairo International Film Festival and a Prize of Recognition at the Teheran (Iran) Film Festival. She continued to make films that commented on society, such as Oghneyat elmoot (1973) ("The Song of Death"), Ualla azae lel sayedat (1979) ("No Condolences for Ladies"), Bad Day Good Day (1988) ("Bitter Days, Sweet Days") and her last feature, Ardh el-Ahlam (1993) ("Land of Dreams"), and her TV series, Conscience of Teacher Hikmat (1991) ("The Consciousness of Teacher Hekmat") and Wagh el qamar (2000) ("The Face of the Moon"), which was shown in 23 countries in the Middle East.
Faten Hamama is the fourth Pyramid in Egyptian cinema, a legend in her platinum anniversary, the diamond that remained shining and kept its glowing over the decades on the silver screen.- Hind Rostom(November 11, 1929 - August 8, 2011) was one of the most popular Egyptian actresses.
Actress Hind Rostom, is a star from the golden era of Egyptian cinema.
With her blond hair and good looks, Rostom often played the sultry seductress, and she quickly rose to become one of Egypt's best-known actresses.
She won popular acclaim for her 1958 film "Cairo Station," about the city's underclass and their struggles to survive. She starred in it with Youssef Chahine, one of Egypt's most lauded movie directors.
Among her other well-known films were "Love Rumor" and "Struggle on the Nile" with Omar Sharif -- the country's most celebrated actor.
Born in Alexandria, Rostom defied her conservative upbringing to stake out a career in film. She was dubbed by fans the Marilyn Monroe of the Arabs and "the queen of seduction" of Egyptian cinema. - Writer
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Mohamed Diab is an Egyptian filmmaker and the lead director on Marvel Studio's MOON KNIGHT starring Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke and May Calamawy.
He began his career as a screenwriter, achieving commercial success in the Middle East. In 2010 he made his directorial debut CAIRO 678, about a trio of female vigilantes who fight sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo. Paulo Coehlo tweeted it "should be mandatory for all men to watch."
In 2016, he followed up with the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regarde opener CLASH (2016), an action packed political thriller shot entirely from within the confines of a police truck. Tom Hanks praised the film and urged people to see it, for "it will break your heart, but enlighten all."
His film AMIRA (2021) picked up three awards at the Venice Film Festival. The story centers around the phenomenon of Palestinian prisoners conceiving children through smuggled sperm.
Mohamed often collaborates with his writer-producer partner and wife, Sarah Goher.
In 2011, Diab received a Webby award for his role in the Egyptian revolution, which was chronicled in the bestselling book "Rising from Tahrir." Diab was also featured as a main character in "Tahrir," a video game about the Arab Spring.- Although she had no interest at all on being an actress, Mona Zaki is now a remarkable leading star. Mona started her career in acting accidentally, when she met Mohamed Sobhi, the famous Egyptian Actor and Director. Mona is a Mass Communication student at the fourth grade. Her dream is to prove herself as a good actress. She wants to make good remarkable roles in her career as a Super Star. 'There is a lot to do'.
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At the age of 12 he came to Israel with his family, where he grew up in humble circumstances. After school, his musical inclinations led him to initially seek his fortune as a bass guitarist, although Saban soon discovered his business skills. At the age of 22, he was already working as a band manager and concert promoter in Israel. When his first company bankruptcy, due to the "Yom Kippur" war, caused him to emigrate to France in 1973, Saban founded his own music studio in Paris, which successfully tried to produce soundtracks for comics and TV series. Saban achieved his first international fame through producing the film music for the TV series "Dallas", which was also broadcast in Europe.
In 1980, Saban moved to the USA to found the company "Saban Entertainment" in Los Angeles, which achieved world-class status in the TV, cinema and music production markets in the following two decades. The media company was able to establish itself particularly in the area of Japanese comic films. In addition to its headquarters in California, Saban's company soon opened offices in New York, France and Germany. While Saban made a fortune with the comic series "Power Rangers" starting in 1989, he supported his friend Bill Clinton's Democratic Party with a $7 million donation. In 1995, Saban founded the TV company "Fox Kids Worldwide" together with Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch, which they sold to "Disney" for a profit in 2001.
In 2001, the media entrepreneur founded "Saban Capital Group Inc.", which sought to expand in the global media market. In addition to his entrepreneurial activities, Saban was also involved in the field of education on several occasions: he founded the "Saban Institute for the Study of the American Political System" at Tel Aviv University. He also participates in several child protection nonprofit organizations. After Saban's company had been in discussion since autumn 2002 as an interested party to take over Leo Kirch's failed German media group, its offer in mid-March 2003 initially beat out the competition, including Heinrich-Bauer-Verlag. In addition to the cheaper offer, it was apparently Saban's expressed intention to keep the company headquarters in Munich that got him the contract.
In the spring of 2003, Saban took over ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, a key piece of the KirchMedia Group, which had fallen into crisis. The media mogul announced the founding of a subsidiary that will in future manage the two major national channels of German private television. But at the beginning of June 2003 it became known that the agreed takeover had fallen through and the purchase agreement would be terminated. The race to take over the insolvent Kirch-Media Group entered another round. In early August 2003, Saban brought himself back into the game by making another offer. Surprisingly, on August 5th he was awarded the contract for his option to take over 26% shares in ProSiebenSAT.1. He was later able to increase his stake in ProSiebenSat.1 to 50.5% by buying up shares in Taurus TV.
As a first measure, in mid-September 2003, Saban created the "Chief Operating Officer" as the central leadership figure of ProSiebenSat.1, based on the American model, to which the Belgian Guillaume de Posch was appointed. He also extended the contract of the CEO of Germany's largest TV group, confirming Urs Rohner in this role until the end of 2006. At the same time, Saban's expansion plans to Great Britain became known, where the US billionaire wanted to take a stake in the British private broadcaster "ITV". In November 2003, the largest German TV group was able to report a profit for the first time since 2000: In the third quarter, ProSiebenSat.1's profit had risen to three-digit millions. In September 2004, a settlement was reached between the Axel Springer publishing house and the Kirch insolvency administration: Springer waived its right to sell its stake in ProSiebenSat.1, which the publisher, on the contrary, increased. For this reason, Springer's claim of 325 million euros was recognized in the insolvency proceedings.
Also in September 2004, de Posch announced the founding of the ProSiebenSat.1 subsidiary SevenOne International, which would be responsible for the international distribution of TV productions. In mid-October 2004, Saban was voted number one among the most important television producers in the magazine "Gentlemen's Quarterly" (GQ) by a jury of recognized media journalists. In April 2005, there was public speculation about Saban's possible exit from ProSiebenSat.1. In January 2006, an application was made for the takeover of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG by Axel Springer Publisher rejected by the Federal Cartel Office on the grounds of a potential "duopoly position" together with the Bertelsmann Group (joint TV market share: 40%). In December 2006, Saban and his investors sold the shares in ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG to KKR/Permira at a high profit.
Haim Saban is married to Cheryl and has two children.- Basma was born on 7 December 1976 in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for Qessat Hobb (2010), Ouija (2006) and Zayy el-Nahardah (2008). She has been married to Amr Hamzawy since 15 February 2012.
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Kareem Mahmoud Abdel Aziz was born on 15 June 1985 in Cairo, Egypt. He is an actor and producer, known for For Zeko (2022), Mousa (2021) and Kira & El Gin (2022). He has been married to Anne Rifai since July 2011.- Actress
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Yousra is Egypt's most renowned multi-faceted celebrity that has been gracing the silver screen for more than 30 years. Since the 1970s, Yousra starred in some of the most important films in the history of Egyptian cinema. Her roles in films and TV series are trailblazing and continue to influence and inspire generations.
Yousra was also named one of the World's 100 Most Powerful Arab Women and is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (The Oscars), given her rich cinematic history.
Her social stands and opinions have impacted the public domain in Egypt and the Arab world like no other actress of her generation.
Furthermore, she has received over 80 awards and certificates of appreciation from international film festivals all over the world, most notably the Beirut, Cairo, and Cannes international film festivals.
Yousra also received significant honors from the Royal College of Physicians in London, the Arab World Institute in Paris, and America Abroad Media (AAM) in Washington.
The multi-talented star shines bright in the world of music as well, with several chart-toppers under her belt, including the late hit by Abu, 3 Daqat (3 Heartbeats).
No stranger to fashion, she was Christian Dior's ambassador in the Middle East. Many of Yousra's dresses were tailored by international fashion designers like Stéphane Rolland, Elie Saab, Hany El-Behairy, and Rami Al-Ali.
Yousra's exquisite taste in fashion qualified her to be a judge in various fashion shows, such as the Arab world version of the famous reality TV show Project Runway Middle East alongside Elie Saab.
She was also appointed as an International Advisory Board member of the El-Gouna Film Festival in 2014. Yousra's first appearance in cinema was in A Castle in the Air, which was directed by Abdel Halim Nasr. While a true master of her trade, capable of carrying any film on her own, for many of her fans, her roles with the legendary superstar Adel Emam are the closest to their hearts. The duo worked together in 17 films with sweeping box-office success, including Al-Ensan Yaeesh Mara Wahida (Humans Only Live Once) by Simon Saleh in 1981, Ala Bab El Wazir (On the Minister's Door) by Mohamed Abdel Aziz in 1982, Al-Avokato by Raafat Al-Mihi in 1984, Humans and Djinns by Muhammad Rady in 1985, and Karakon fe Al-Sharea (Station on the Street) by Ahmed Yehia the following year. The last of these films was the 2009's hit Bobbos.
Her countless collaborations with the late screenwriter Wahid Hamed were also a favorite, spanning over nine TV shows and blockbusters such as El Mansy (The Forgotten), The Yacoubian Building, Terrorism and Kebab (El Erhab Wel Kabab), and Birds of Darkness (Toyor El Zalam).
Yousra also starred opposite the late veteran actor Ahmed Zaki in five films and appeared in four of Youssef Chahine's films - An Egyptian Story in 1982, Alexandria: Again and Forever in 1990, Alexandria... New York in 2004, and The Emigrant in 1994. Chahine had a really powerful impact on Yousra, to the extent that she said: "Youssef Chahine's impact on me [was significant] on a personal and a professional level. He was considered more of a school to all the people who worked with him." Yousra also starred alongside renowned international Egyptian actor Omar El-Sharif and superstar Amr Diab in Dehk Wa Le'b Wa Gad Wa Hob (Laughter, Games, Seriousness, and Love).
Additionally, Yousra did an outstanding performance in the 2006 film Yacoubian Building, which is based on the best-selling Arab novel of the same name, in which she portrayed the owner of a restaurant that is favored by what's left of Cairo's aristocrats. with a budget that was the largest in Egypt at the time. Variety magazine characterized Yousra's performance in the film as "effortlessly evoking old romantic memories when she sings La Vie en Rose".
On TV, and particularly in Ramadan, Yousra's TV series has always been a must-see. since Ayna Qalbi (where's my heart" in 2002 and Malak Rohi (my soul, Malak), in 2003, Yousra has always been keen on addressing the most pressing social issues of the hour on her TV series.
Her series also usually showcase fresh talents and promising young stars. One of Yousra's most prominent series is Adiyyeit Raie Aam (A Public Opinion Case), Fi Aid Amina (In Amina's Hands), Sharbat, the Cunning, Foq Mostawa El Shobohat (Above Suspicion), Kheyanet Ahd (The Betrayal of Ahd), and Harb Ahlia (Civil War).
Her serial drama Kheyanet Ahd (The Betrayal of Ahd) aired on TV during Ramadan 2020 to huge success, winning her the DG Best Actress Award and the DG Best Series at the Dear Guest Awards in December 2020.
In the same year, she was honored at the Arab Satellite Festival and the Negm El-Arab Festival. Additionally, Yousra was featured in the official music video of Dokki Ya Mazzika of the fourth El-Gouna Film Festival, where she launched her Hareef Tamsil Campaign (Talented Actor) in collaboration with Orange Egypt. The new service was exclusively dedicated for Orange users, with participants submitting videos in which they played a character inspired by any of Yousra's famous roles. The winner was selected to perform with her in her new series, Harb Ahlya (Civil War) in Ramadan 2021. The serial drama was written by Ahmed Adel, produced by El-Adl Group, and directed by Sameh Abdel-Aziz. Additionally, in Ramadan 2021, she took part in the ad campaign for ZED Park alongside a plethora of Arab stars, including Shereen Reda, Karim Abdel-Aziz, Nelly Kareem, Tara Emad, and Huda El-Mufti. Yousra's film career amounts to over 100 films, the most recent of which is the feature film Saheb El Maqam (The Enshrined Saint), which was directed by Mohamed El-Adl and premiered on Shahid to tremendous success. The film starred Asser Yassin, Amina Khalil, and Bayoumi Fouad opposite Yousra, marking her comeback to films since Game Over in 2012. Using her fame for a good cause, Yousra is a social activist who gives back to the community and helps raise awareness and supports many social causes.
"Poverty is one of the most important issues in the world, and it is the key to agony; therefore, if we can decrease the forms of poverty that we come across, I believe our sorrow will also decrease, and so will violence against children and women, which is a major concern, along with education and the environment," she once said. She was chosen by the United Nations to be the Regional UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, as she has been known for her participation in social activities with many civil society organizations. Consequently, Yousra received more than 50 awards in recognition of her work as a UNDP goodwill ambassador. She contributed her time and effort to Coptic Orphans - a non-profit organization based in Merrifield, Virginia, in order to support Egyptian orphans. In 2007, the organization presented her the Ideal Award as a tribute for her efforts and time spent aiding children. "Out of over 50 awards that I've received, this one is the one closest to my heart," Yousra stated. Yousra also took part in the 500-500 Ramadan campaign to support cancer patients. Recently - within her role as a Goodwill Ambassador - Yousra participated in the opening ceremony of a 16-day campaign under the theme 'Orange the World: #HearMeToo; End Violence against Women and Girls' at the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in collaboration with the UN to highlight the issues of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Most recently, Yousra participated in the third Awladna International Forum for Arts of the Gifted, which aims to provide gifted children with special needs with a platform to enrich and showcase their artistic talents and empower them and their families. During the opening ceremony, Yousra performed her new song Anta Qadha (You Can Do It) amid a large number of children with special needs on stage. Additionally, Yousra attended the first edition of Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), delivering a masterclass to educate movie enthusiasts and talk about her amazing journey, which was held after the screening of one of her most iconic films, Strawberry War, which was restored with the support of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation. Yousra also continued her strong Ramadan streak by starring in Ahlam Saeeda (Happy Dreams) in 2022 alongside Ghada Adel, Mai Kassab, and Shaimaa Seif. The comedy series was written by Hala Khalil and directed by Amr Arafa. In 2022, Yousra was honored at the opening ceremony of the second edition of the RSIFF, receiving the GOLD YUSR Honorary Award. Most recently, she also starred in the 2023 Ramadan season drama 1000 HAMDELLAH A'LA EL SALAMA. Moreover, she's expecting the release of her latest off-season show ROSE & LAILA and film LEILET EL EID, both of which are due for release sometime in 2023.- Graduated from the Egyptian academy of arts and began his acting career immediately in Egyptian mini-series, and ended up co-starring in several of the most important series broadcast during the holy month Ramadan seasons.
Ahmed establish himself as a film star as early as 1998 when he co-starred in "Seidy at the American University" which holds the record to be the highest grossing film in Egyptian & Arab counties Box office history. He got his first starring role in 2000 in the film "Short wi Fanila wi Cap" and since then he has not looked back. His latest film "Mafia" was the most acclaimed film of 2002 and grossed over 14 million EGP in the Egyptian Box office.
Ahmed El sakka is now set to increase and confirm his No. 1 leading man status by starring in "TiTo". - Mohamed Henedi was born on 1 February 1965 in Egypt. He is an actor, known for Ismailia Rayeh Gay (1997), Prince of the Seas (2009) and El-Batal (1998). He has been married to Abeer Al-Sari Mudif Al-Asaad since 18 November 1999. They have three children.
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Dalida was a French-Italian singer, born to Italian parents in Egypt. She moved to France in her 30's, where she enjoyed the most successful part of her career. She was born on January 17, 1933 in Cairo, Egypt as Yolande Christina Gigliotti. She was married to Lucien Morisse. She died on May 3, 1987 in Paris, France.- An Egyptian actress who spent part of her life in America, where she studied there, moved to Egypt, graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Department of English. She made her debut in the series Taht Setra , the latest "Soqut Horr" and "Hag Nouman Family Season 1" "Hag Nouman Family Season 2" "Black Horse" and Other Film Like Batraa
- Born in Egypt and raised in Texas, Amir first earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington before discovering acting and moving to Los Angeles. Since then, he's worked in some pretty high-profile projects, including portraying Boris Karloff's Frankenstein in Bill Condon's Academy Award-winning film God's and Monsters. Amir has also been seen on many television series.