Film director Khaled Youssef honored at Alexandria Film Festival

CAIRO – 8 October 2017: Prominent filmmaker and director Khaled Youssef has been honored on Sunday at the 33rd edition of Alexandria Film Festival (AFF) in Alexandria.

This came as part of a seminar carried out in the festival, gathering several filmmakers and directors who honored Youssef after being absent from the cinematic scene for six years, according to a statement released by the Alexandria Film Festival media office.

A short screening about the renowned director displayed prior to the seminar, featuring various scenes of his films and opinions of other celebrities.

The Egyptian director and film writer is known for leading strong contributions to the cinematic scene, tackling various societal topics such as rape, political corruption, and homosexuality.

Originally a graduate of the faculty of engineering, Youssef has long been inspired by the renowned film director Youssef Shaheen. He collaborated with Shaheen in a short drama film in 1990 called “Cairo Sparks with its People.”

Youssef later became an assistant director to Shaheen, learning all required film techniques and advice. Youssef is known for producing major cinematic hits such as “El Asafa” (The Storm).

He has won several prestigious awards such as the grand award at the Cairo International Cinema Festival, as well as the Best Prize for Best Arabic film and Best Director in the Egyptian National Cinema Festival, among others.