Hamed wins Best Director Award from Casablanca Festival

CAIRO – 17 December 2018: The famed Egyptian director Marwan Hamed won the Best Director Award on his movie ‘’ Turab el Mass’’ ( Diamond Dust) from the first edition of Casablanca Arab Film Festival.

"Turab al-Mass" is based on the novel of the same name by Ahmed Mourad. The plot revolves around Taha, who works for a pharmaceutical company and lives an extremely boring life with his disabled father.

Taha’s life is turned upside down after a mysterious murder reveals many secrets, dragging Taha into the world of crime and corruption.

Alongside Yassin, the cast includes Menna Shalaby, Maged el-Kidwany, Ezzat al-Alayly, Mohamed Mamdouh, Khaled al-Sawy and Sawsan Badr.

Hamed is an Egyptian filmmaker and director who was born in 1977 in Cairo. He graduated from the High Institute of Cinema in 1999, then started his 16-year career with the short movie “Lili” (2001), based on a short story by the veteran writer Youssef Idris.

In 2006, Hamed directed his first feature film “Omaret Yacoubian” (The Yacoubian Building) which brought together giants such as Adel Imam, Nour el-Sherif, Yousra, Khaled el-Sawy and Essad Younis.

“The Yacoubian Building” garnered several awards from important international film festivals. Following his first success, he directed “Ibrahim Al-Abyad” (2009), starring action hero Ahmed el-Sakka, “El Feel El Azraa” (The Blue Elephant) in 2014, starring heartthrob Egyptian star Karim Abdel Aziz, and finally “El Asleyeen” (The Originals) with Menna Shalaby and El-Sawy.

A film’s fame and success are usually attributed to its stars, but Marwan Hamed, a creative director with a unique style, is one of the very few who captured the heart of their admirers, so they wait eagerly for his next film. To his audience, he is the real star of the movie.

Hamed won many awards such as Best Director Award from Fantasporto Film Festival in Portugal on his movie “El Asleen” (The Originals) in February 2018.


America Abroad Media (AAM) honoured Hamed, celebrating his respectable career.

AAM honoured Hamed, at its sixth Annual Awards Dinner on Nov. 7 in Washington, D.C. This annual Media Award recognizes individuals whose work demonstrates a strong commitment to purpose driven content, and who appreciate the unique power of media as a catalyst in informing, inspiring and positively impacting society.