The Cairo International Film Festival announced today, Sunday, that Egyptian actor Ahmed Ezz will receive the "Fatma Hamama Award for Excellence" at its 45th edition, which will take place in mid-November. The festival stated in a statement that Ezz's receipt of the award, which is presented annually to distinguished cinematic personalities contributing to the advancement of the film art, comes "in recognition of what he has offered throughout his artistic career that began in the late 1990s."
The festival's president, artist Hussein Fahmy, said in a statement that Ezz is "a distinguished artist who has presented many good works, and it is important for the Cairo festival to encourage artists who have greatly contributed to Egyptian cinema." The festival's director, director Amir Ramses, added that Ezz has "succeeded in recent years in creating a big artistic name, and as an artist, he has taken many risks by presenting different types of films than those that dominate box office sales, breaking the dominance of comedy films in revenue... and he deserves this honor."
For his part, Ahmed Ezz stated, "The news of the honor itself is a message that has come at the right time to encourage me for the future, as I see that I have not yet given everything, and my relationship with the Cairo festival has been since my beginnings; it is an opportunity to meet cinema makers, and it is a very important event that adds value to the artist and the cinema industry." Ezz has a film portfolio of about 25 films, including "Malaki Alexandria," "Al-Rahina," "Masgoun Transit," "The Cell," "The Knowledge," "The Corridor," "The Crime," and "Kira and the Jin." The 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival will commence on November 15 and continue until November 24.
