Sheikh Jackson to open El Gouna Film Festival

CAIRO – 10 August 2017: Egyptian Film Sheikh Jackson from director Amr Salama, will be the opening movie for El Gouna Film Festival in its first edition. The film festival will take place from 22-29 September, El Gouna Film Festival announced Wednesday.

Festival Director, Entshal Al Tamimmy said, “We are proud that this special film will be introduced in the opening ceremony because it will attract many film producers, not only Arabs, but also foreigners who are interested in these kinds of movies.”

The movie director, Amr Salama said, “The story of the film is personal and deep as I am narrating a very private story (of someone he knows).”

Sheikh Jackson is a controversial movie for Ahmed al-Fishawy, and it goes back to the day pop star Michael Jackson died. So, the film is about a religious young man who is in a struggle against himself for being a fan of Michael Jackson, and at the same time wanting to be devoted to his religious beliefs as he grows older.

The film’s production company poster shows the protagonist, played by Egyptian star Ahmed el-Fishawy. He is dressed as a Salafist sheikh, posed in a Jackson dance move, and wearing Jackson’s signature hat.

The film also features Majid Al-Kadwani, Dorra, Ahmed Malik, Amina Khalil and Hazem Sharif. The film was produced by Hisham Abdel-Khaliq and Mohamed Hafezy and written and directed by Amr Salama.