Two Egyptian films took home awards at the Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with Ahmed Maher’s debut film “Al-Mosafer” (The Traveler) winning the Golden Award for best film, while the best documentary award was bestowed on Amal Ramses’ “Forbidden.”
“Although the film was met with great enthusiasm and praise by the audience and critics at the festival, I was not expecting a unanimous vote on the film for the prize,” Maher excitedly told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Starring Omar Sharif, Khaled al-Nabawy and Cyrine Abdel Nour, "Al-Mosafer" has already received twenty awards from other international film festivals.
“The film will be screened in three more festivals in Asia over the coming weeks," said Maher. "But I will not be attending these festivals, as I’m flying back to Cairo before 21 September, when the film will finally be shown in Egyptian cinemas.”
Produced in 2009, “Al-Mosafer” has faced criticism from local filmmakers and critics, as well as disputes with the Board of Censors that have repeatedly prevented it from being screened in local movie theaters.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
