The actor Ahmed Ezz was chosen recently to receive the prestigious “Prix de l’Exponsence Faten Hamama” during the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), which will be held from November 15 to 24, 2023. This distinction pays tribute to all of his artistic career, which began in the late 1990s.
Hussein Fahmy, president of the Cairo Film Festivalcommented this recognition by declaring: “We are delighted to grant Ahmed Ezz the Prix Faten Hamama, in recognition of his remarkable career in Egyptian cinema. We want to encourage artists who have made a significant contribution to the Egyptian film industry, and we are impatient to celebrate this award ceremony. We wish him a lot of success in his future projects. »»
Festival director, Amir Ramses, Also expressed his satisfaction with the choice of Ahmed Ezz to receive the Prix Faten Hamama: “I am extremely happy that this exceptional artist, Ahmed Ezz, was selected to receive this prize because of his success in recent years and his contribution to the construction of a brilliant artistic career. He dared to explore cinematographic genres different from those who usually dominate the box office. Ahmed Ezz was very successful, in particular thanks to his collaboration with directors such as Sandra Nashat, Sherif Arafa and Marwan Hamed. I am convinced that he is a unique artist in his choices and that he fully deserves this distinction. »»
Ahmed Ezz himself expressed his gratitude and his joy to be chosen to receive this prestigious prize: “When Mr. Hussein Fahmy approached me to offer to receive the Prix du Filmu du Film du Cairo, I was extremely happy. Indeed, he is himself a great artist whom I have admired for a long time for his contributions to the cinema. It’s a model for me. I am also honored to receive this award awarded by the prestigious Cairo Film International Film Festival, in the presence of the eminent artist Hussein Fahmy. »»
Ahmed Ezz continued by declaring: “The presentation of this award is a message that comes at the right time to encourage me to build a future and make even better career choices. I am convinced that I have not yet presented everything I want in the movies. I established a close relationship with the Cairo Festival from my beginnings as an actor, because it is an exceptional opportunity to meet filmmakers. This event is of great importance for artists and for the film industry in general. I hope that this recognition will mark the start of a new stage in my career, beyond what I have been able to present in the cinema so far. »»
Ahmed Ezz studied English at the Ain Shams University Faculty of Arts. He then worked in the hotel industry before taking an interest in fashion shows. It was at a later stage of his life that he discovered his passion for cinema, and his roles began to draw attention through films such as “Al Sharaf” by Sherif Shaaban and “Night Talk – Kalam Al Leel” directed by Enas El Degheidy.
However, these first roles did not allow him to fully express his passion for cinema. It was only when he played in the film “The Journal of a Teenager” by Enas El-Deghaidy in 2001 that he was able to really launch his cinematographic career, even if this film aroused lively controversy during its dining room. However, this was the opportunity Ahmed Ezz needed to progress in his career. In 2004, he presented four films, the most remarkable of which is “Girls in Love” directed by Khaled El Hagar. For this film, Ezz won the prize for the best actor in a supporting role during the tenth National Festival of Egyptian Cinema. He also shared the poster for the film “Sana Oula Nasb” with the director Kamla Abu Zekryas well as in “Day of Dignity” with the director Ali Abdel-Khaleq.
Ahmed Ezz then began playing main roles and collaborated with director Sandra Nashat in the film “Mlaky Alexandria” in 2005, marking the start of a series of collaborations with Nashat on several films, including “The Hosage” in 2006 and “Transit Prisoner” in 2008. He also worked with director Amr Arafa on “The Ghost” Best actor in 2007. In 2009, he presented the film “Badal Faked” with director Ahmed Alaa El Deeb.
In 2011, Ezz played in the film “365 Days of Happiness” by Lebanese director Saeed Al-Marouk, marking his first cinematographic experience outside of Egypt. In 2012, he was playing with two films: “Al Maslaha” with director Sandra Nashat, after five years since their last collaboration, and “Dream of Aziz”, in which he worked again with director Amr Arafa. In 2015, he presented the film “The Party” with director Ahmed Alaa El Deeb.
He also participated in three films with the director Tariq Al-Arian, including “Awlad Rizk” in 2015 and his suite in 2019. In 2017, he presented the film “The Cell”, for which he won the prize for best actor during the Arab Film Awards in 2018.
At the beginning of 2019, Ahmed Ezz presented the film “The Passage”, which recounts the heroic acts of the war of wear. This film marks its first collaboration with the great director Sherif Arafa. In 2021, he presented the film “Al-Aref” with Ahmed Alaa El-Deeb. He once again worked with “Arafa” on the film “The Crime” in 2022, and that same year, he presented the film “Kira Wal Jinn” with director Marwan Hamed, their first collaboration.
From 2019 to today, Ahmed Ezz presented five films in Egyptian cinema. These films have generated recipes of 385 million pounds, which is an unrivaled record among Egyptian artists during this period or previous periods. The five films in question are “The Corridor”, “Awlad Rizk 2”, “Al-Aref”, “The Crime” and finally “Kira Wal Jinn”.
The Cairo Film International Film Festival is the most prestigious festivals in the Arab and African world. It is also the only festival in the Arab and African region to be recorded in category A of the International Federation of Film Producers (FIAPF). This international recognition testifies to the unique status of the festival and its importance in the film industry.
Neïla Driss dafter press release
