66th edition of Catholic Center Cinema Festival, concludes with awards

CAIRO – 3 March 2018: The 66th Egyptian Catholic Center Cinema Festival announced its awards during the closing ceremony on Friday, March 2. This year’s festival started on February 23.

The festival’s head Pope Botrus Danial and the jury committee head the veteran Egyptian director Samir Seif honoured a group of prominent actors such as Laila Elwi, Hassan Hosny, Rashwan Tawfik, Laila Taher, Mahmoud Kabil and Enaam Salousa.


Catholic Center Cinema Festival closing ceremony – Egypt Today

The famous Egyptian actor Amr Saad won the Best Actor award for his role in “Mawlana” (The Preacher) movie. “Mawlana’s” script writer the renowned Ibrahim Eissa and its director the veteran Magdy Ahmed Aly won the Best Script Writer and the Best Director awards, respectively.

The Egyptian actress Heba Aly won the Best Actress award on her role in “Akhdar Yabes” (Withered Green) and the movie director Mohamed Hammad won the Best Director Award as well. The Egyptian director Sherif el-Bendary and the Egyptian script writer Ahmed Amer received the Artistic Creativity certificate for their movie “Ali Maaza w Ibrahim” (Ali the Goat and Ibrahim).


Catholic Center Cinema Festival closing ceremony – Egypt Today



“Akhdar Yabes” (Withered Green)

The movie focuses on a woman, Iman, living in an oriental society; she tries to convince her uncles to meet her sister’s suitor in place of their deceased father. The protagonist is very traditional and strict. However, Iman receives medical news that causes her to rethink her life and question her beliefs. The film took part in 45 international film festivals including the Hamburg International Film Festival, Festival de Cannes, and Stockholm International Film Festival.

Hammad, was the first Egyptian to win the Muhr Award for Best Director in the Narrative Feature Competition at the Dubai International Film Festival. He also won a Golden Palm Award for Best Director in the Narrative Feature Competition at the Mexico International Film Festival.

“Akhdar Yabes” was written and directed by Hammad and stars Heba Ali, Asmaa Fawzi, Ahmed Alaidy, and John Ekram Hanna.

The internationally-awarded Egyptian film was screened for the first time in Egypt at Zawya cinema on October 25, 2017. It premiered at Locarno International Film Festival last year and was the first Egyptian film to be featured in the festival.

‘’Ali Maaza w Ibrahim’’ (Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim)

The movie is about Ali, a man who believes his late girlfriend’s soul is inside a goat, so he loves this goat, naming her Nada and talking to her. Many people criticize him for this behavior, until his mother forces him to go to a psychological and spiritual healer, where he meets Ibrahim.


Ibrahim suffers from depression and listens to sounds from another world, yet he is incapable of understanding what those messages mean. Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and friendship across Egypt. The movie stars Ali Sobhy, Ahmed Magdy and Salwa Mohamed Aly, among others. “Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim” was directed by Sherif el-Bendary and written by Ahmed Amer and Ibrahim el-Batout.


Catholic Center Cinema Festival closing ceremony – Egypt Today


“Mawlana” (The Preacher)

"Mawlana", adapted from a novel by renowned journalist Ibrahim Eissa, revolves around an influential religious preacher turned TV celebrity whose credibility is shaken when he gets close to politicians and security agencies.

The movie Stars Amr Saad, Dorra Zarrouk and Ahmed Magdy and was written by Ibrahim Eissa, directed by Magdy Ahmed Aly and produced by telecom tycoon Naguib Sawiris.

It is worth mentioning that "Mawlana" previously won the Circle Award at the Washington, D.C. Film Festival. The film was awarded Best Film at the Luxor African Film Festival, and Amr Saad was awarded Best Actor. Saad was also crowned Best Actor at Tetouan Film Festival. The movie was originally released in 2016 and earned praise from both the public and critics despite the controversy surrounding it.




Catholic Center Cinema Festival closing ceremony – Egypt Today