El Gouna 2023 – The El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has the privilege of awarding its honorary prize for his entire career to Egyptian director Marwan Hamed.
This prestigious distinction celebrates the substantial contributions of Marwan Hamed to the Egyptian and Arabic cinema industries, demonstrated through his varied and influential work. Hamed’s films have revolutionized visual narration and have established new standards for audiovisual effects in modern Egyptian cinema. Hamed was a remarkable success both artistic and commercial. His works have become synonymous with authenticity and achievements.
By receiving the prize, Marwan Hamed expressed deep joy and sincere gratitude to the Gouna festival and its organizers. He dedicated this prestigious honor to his father, the famous writer Wahid Hamed, and to his mother, the estimated media figure Zeinab Swaydan.
Marwan Hamed also thanked her mentors, producers and artists who helped him in his artistic journey. He warmly thanked those who placed their self -confidence and participated in his films, whether in front or behind the camera.
Intishal Al Timimi, director of the El Gouna film festival, said: “We are delighted and honored that the distinguished filmmaker, Marwan Hamed, has graciously agreed to be the winner of the Honorary Prize for the entire career of the El Gouna Film Festival this year. »» Al Timimi added: “The film industry was greatly enriched by Hamed’s remarkable contributions, leaving a lasting imprint and inspiring generations of filmmakers. The El Gouna Film Festival team reaffirms its enthusiasm with its remarkable cinematographic course and its artistic vision.“”
Amr Mansi, the executive director of the El Gouna film festival, stressed: “ This prize perfectly embodies the vision of the festival to celebrate an exceptional talent with a deep impact on Egyptian and Arabic cinema. »» Mansi added : “The artistic shine and the innate talent of Hamed as a director are obvious in each project he undertakes, leaving an indelible footprint on the cinema. With an exceptional combination of critical recognition and commercial success, Hamed’s films systematically offer the public a pure cinematographic pleasure which resonates long after.“”
A succinct overview of Marwan Hamed:
The artistic journey of Marwan Hamed prospered over two decades, highlighting his immense talent in the production of films, cinematographic and television production. Beyond his achievements in the world of feature films, he has also demonstrated his know-how by making many television advertisements and creating short -less documentaries.
In 1999, Marwan Hamed graduated from the Higher Cinema Institute, marking the start of a remarkable trip that started with his captivating short film Lillyadapted from a short story by Yusuf Idris. The immense success of the film has resonated all over the world, worth many international awards, such as the prestigious public prize at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and the Golden Prize at the Carthage Film Festival, among others.
In 2006, Marwan Hamed began his trip as a director of feature films with The Yacoubian buildingan adaptation of Alaa Al Aswany’s bestseller. The film featured an impressive group of stars, including the legendary Adel Imam, Hend Sabry, Nour El-Sherif and Yousra. Making his remarkable debut at the Berlin International Film Festival, The Yacoubian building conquered hearts during various international film festivals, winning the general acclamation and appreciation of the public and criticism.
Marwan Hamed’s diverse filmography includes successful adaptations of literary works, such as The blue elephantbased on Ahmed Mourad’s novel.
The film received praise of criticism and was a huge success at the box office, becoming one of the most profitable films in the history of Egyptian cinema.
His works cover different genres, psychological drama in Original (2017) in crime and mystery in Diamond dust (2018) through action in Ibrahim Labyad (2009). Each film highlighted Hamed’s talent and artistic vision.
The most recent cinematographic triumph of Marwan Hamed, Kirah wa al-jinn (2022), is a remarkable adaptation of Ahmed Mourad’s novel “1919”, a captivating historical drama which has established itself as the greatest production of Egyptian cinema. Being beyond all records at the box office, the film even surpassed the monumental success of The blue elephant, generating the incredible amount of 120 million Egyptian pounds in revenue. He was screened at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and received the Best Movie Prize at the Joy Awards.
Marwan Hamed was also recognized as a member of the jury in several prestigious film festivals, including the International Film Festival of the Red Sea in 2021, the El Gouna Film Festival in 2019, the Cairo International Film Festival in 2015, and others.
Marwan Hamed’s deep contribution to Egyptian and Arabic cinema has been remarkable, leaving an indelible imprint that continues to resonate. His visionary work not only had a lasting impact on the industry, but also served as a powerful source of inspiration for the next generation of filmmakers.
An annual GFF tradition, the honorary prize for the entire festival career is reserved for influential talents of different generations including work and commitment to the film and entertainment industry have left an indelible imprint. Among the recent recipients, we can cite the Egyptian stars Adel Emam, Mohamed Henedy and Khaled El Sawy, the international stars Forest Whitaker, Sylvester Stallone, Gérard Depardieu and Saïd Taghmaoui, the Egyptian director Daoud Abdelsayed, the Egyptian artistic director Onsi Tunisian director Dora Bouchoucha, Palestinian director Mai Masri and Lebanese critic Ibrahim Al-Ariss.
The 6th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival will take place from October 12 to 20 in the city of El Gouna.
El Gouna Film Festival
One of the main festivals in the MENA region, the GFF aims to present a wide variety of films to a passionate and competent audience, while promoting better communication between cultures through the art of cinema. Its objective is to connect filmmakers in the region with their international counterparts in a spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange. The festival undertakes to discover new voices and strives to be a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world, in particular thanks to the Cinegouna platform, an event oriented towards the industry created to allow Egyptian and Arabic filmmakers to find artistic and financial support. The Cinegouna platform presents the Cinegouna Springboard and Cinegouna Bridge programs which offer sharing and learning opportunities.
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