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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 July 2000 Issue No. 491 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 July 2000 Issue No. 491
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Celebrating celebs
The Cairo Festival for Radio and Television (11-16 July), preceding the 40th anniversary of the first Egyptian televised broadcast -- 23 July 1960 -- by a week, saw stellar participants from 20 Arab countries flocking to the Cairo International Conference Centre, writes Hanan Sabra. The celebrations saw 650 works competing for 186 awards that amounted to LE250,000 in all.Both opening and closing ceremonies featured a speech by Minister of Information Safwat El-Sherif who stressed the importance of cooperation among the Arab media apparatuses and promised to make Egypt "the guiding star," contending that the Arab countries would thus be able "to compete with the Western media and live up to the challenge of globalisation."
The opening ceremony featured an operette performed by actress/dancer Nelly and singer Ali El-Haggar, as well as the first screening of Al-Ashiqan (The Lovers), a film starring the actor couple Poussi and Nour El-Sherif, and El-Sherif's much publicised directorial debut. Seven prominent figures were honoured: actors and actresses Mahmoud Mursi, Samiha Ayyoub, Kamal El-Shinnawi and Karima Mukhtar; former head of the television Samia Sadeq (also the honourary head of the festival); radio anchor Amal Fahmi and radio director Youssef El-Hattab.
The closing ceremony saw the announcement of all 186 awards, with the inevitable exception of a few prizes that were withheld. The phenomenally popular Umm Kulthoum televised serial, it seems, was the best of all; it received the awards for best actress (Sabrine), best director (In'am Mohamed Ali), best actors (Ahmed Ratib and Kamal Abu Rayya) and best script (Mahfouz Abdel-Rahman). Other highlights included the famous composer Ammar El-Shirie'i and movie star Hussein Fahmi, chairman of the Cairo International Film Festival, each receiving the festival shield for a number of works.
Clockwise from top: Information Minister Safwat El-Sherif surrounded by the prize winners; honouring veteran actor Mahmoud Mursi; actor Hussein Fahmi carrying away the festival's shield; award winning Thematic Channels Chief Hassan Hamed; Conductor Selim Sahab leads his orchestra down memory lane
photos: Abdel Hamid Eid
Salah Al-Qasimi, director of the Arabic programme department of the Omani Radio, told Al-Ahram Weekly that "Egypt is considered the cultural centre of the entire Arab world, the various countries of which must cooperate to improve the Arabic media." He added that the media zone located in the 6 October City -- "Hollywood of the East," according to El-Sherif -- will be a key factor in immanent future renaissance.
Radwan Abu Ayyash, chairman of the Palestinain Broadcasting Corporation, told Al-Ahram Weekly that "an agreement to hold workshops in Egypt and Palestine in which Egyptian experts will train Palestinians has already been discussed."
The festival programme included four seminars on the problems and challenges facing the Arab media and two exhibitions showcasing the latest in media technology.
