The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) has been nominated British-Egyptian artist Amir al-Masry for its Best Actor award, after his exceptional performance in the British film “LIMBO”.
Masry is competing for the award alongside veteran star Anthony Hopkins, Cosmo Jarvis, Sobet Dressio, and Riz Ahmed.
Masry, who has played in 24 films since 2013, appeared on the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)’s list of 2020’s best emerging talents, making him the first Egyptian star to join the list.
Masry’s nomination for the “Best Actor” award coincides with the Arab premiere of “LIMBO” at the Cairo International Film Festival Thursday at 4:30 pm, as the film competes in the festival’s international competition.
Directed by Ben Sharrock, “LIMBO” achieved much critical acclaim, and landed a spot in major international film festivals, including the Toronto Film Festival and the Macao Film Festival, where it won “Best Film”.
The film also won the Youth Jury Prize from the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Variety magazine wrote that Masry “was able to convey layers of shock behind his character, to produce a balanced film between fun and anger.”
“The star Amir al-Masry, a rising British-Egyptian talent, gave a calm, emotional performance in the character of Omar in the movie,” the Hollywood Reporter wrote.
The Guardian reported that Masry’s performance “was able to transmit feelings of fear and hesitation.”
“LIMBO” follows Omar, a young musician with a promising future, as he moves away from his family in Syria to a Scottish island, where he waits for the processing of his asylum application.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
