Category: Amazing Feats

Emirati ‘218’ Star Amal Mohamed Wins Best Asian Actress at Dutch Septimius Awards, Amsterdam

The film, Sharjah Media City’s first production, was nominated in three categories – Best Director, Best Actress and Best Asian Film.

Emirati actress Amal Mohamed has won Best Asian Actress at the Septimius Awards for film, in the Netherlands, for her role in the Emirati film 218: Behind the Wall of Silence.

The movie is the first production by Sharjah Media City or Shams and is the result of a two-year initiative that involved more than 2,000 aspiring creatives from around the UAE.

The film, which deals with issues of domestic violence, nostalgia and revenge, tells the story of three young women from different backgrounds, whose fates become intertwined because of a mysterious event in apartment 218.

It is directed by The Tainted Veil filmmaker Nahla Al Fahad and stars, alongside Mohamed, several renowned Emirati actors including Habib Ghuloom, Merei El Halyan, Mansoor Alfeeli, Abdulla Bin Haider and Haifa Al Ali.

The film was nominated in three categories at the Septimius Awards, namely Best Director, Best Actress and Best Asian Film. The festival, held on Monday and Tuesday in Amsterdam, is aimed at encouraging independent film talents and supporting visionary films.

“Shams is proud to produce works of art that leave an unmistakeable mark on the Emirati creative scene,” Shams chairman Khalid Omar Al Midfa said. “The film 218 is our first foray into this field, and for Emirati actress Amal Mohamed to win Best Asian Actress at the prestigious Septimius Film Awards truly underlines the meticulous quality of the production, as well as its ability to deliver an important social message. This, in turn, demonstrates our ability to compete and produce works that can make an impact in the film industry.”

Al Midfa congratulated Mohamed on her achievement and said this was “only the beginning” for Shams.

How ‘218’ was made

218 was the first film to be produced under the Shams initiative UAE Entertainment Experience, and is touted as being the “first crowdsourced film in the Arab world.”

The campaign began in 2019 by calling on fresh university graduates from around the UAE to enrol in a free filmmaking training programme.

“We had a team in every major city that actually met those interested in participating in the initiative,” Shihab Alhammadi, director of Shams, previously told The National. .

In its early stages, the programme had more than 2,000 participants taking part in the training courses, that were offered online and in person. The training focused on developing various skills in filmmaking, from scriptwriting to directing and post-production to scoring.

A committee consisting of film professionals oversaw the training programme and offered mentorship to its participants.

“We have experts in directing, acting, scriptwriting and music production to name a few,” Alhammadi said. “They were all involved in the team as well as those who were involved in managing the programme.”

The committee included Al Fahad, Ghuloom, scriptwriter Mohammed Hasan Ahmed and Bin Haider.

source/contents: thenationalnews.com

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Emirati actress Amal Mohamed shows off her Septimius Award for Best Asian Actress, in Amsterdam. Photo: Shams

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

Saudi Student Itizaz Alnefaie breaks World Record. She is honoured by Tabuk Governor Prince Fahad bin Sultan for Top Two Finish in Worldwide Mental Arithmetic Competition, Egypt

Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd bin Sultan honored Itizaz Alnefaie, the primary school pupil from Tabuk International Schools who won second place in this year’s Worldwide Mental Arithmetic Competition, recently held in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh.

Alnefaie broke the world record by solving 100 maths problems, testing herself against the clock.


He congratulated Alnefaie for this achievement, wishing her more success, noting the Saudi leadership’s support for outstanding students in all scientific fields.


“I’m pleased to meet you and everyone is proud of your achievement,” Prince Fahd said, praising the efforts made by Alnefaie’s parents and teachers, who created the environment for her to reach excellence, and who supported her talent. He also wished her and all of Tabuk’s students future success.

The prince then offered Alnefaie his personal pen as a gift. The head of Tabuk International Schools, Maram Al-Atwi, praised Prince Fahd for the achievement, which comes as a result of his great support for the education sector in Tabuk, noting that this success is an extension of the local and international achievements made by public school students from all Saudi regions.


Hundreds of talented pupils representing more than 25 countries, including Saudi Arabia, participated in this year’s competition.


Solving a math problem might take most people a few minutes. However, Alnefaie takes just a second or two.

source/content: arabnews.com (edited)

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Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd bin Sultan honors Itizaz Alnefaie, the primary school pupil from Tabuk International Schools. (SPA)

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SAUDI ARABIA

Omani Diver Omar Al Ghailani Sets Record for the 3rd Time ‘Deepest Asian Record in Dual Fins ‘, AIDA Freediving World Cup, Egypt

Omani diver Omar Al Ghailani achieved the deepest Asian record for the third time in the dual fins specialty with a depth of 92m CWTB in the diving championship held in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt – AIDA Freediving world cup – May.

Omar Al-Ghilani said that he is determined to achieve more national numbers in the coming days, noting that the feeling is different every day in the atmosphere of the tournament.

Al-Ghilani said: Every day I develop a plan and scenario for the next day, but changes occur that can change everything, explaining: Sometimes there are unexpected waves or the water temperature changes, and these are some conditions that can affect concentration and readiness to dive.

Al-Ghilani confirmed that his diving experience made him ready to perform better and enjoyable despite all circumstances, adding: I am still learning and developing myself in this field.

Omani diver Omar Al Ghailani achieved a national record on the second day of the championship, as he managed to dive to 92 meters in free diving.

It is worth noting that the Omani champion Omar Al Ghailani is the world record holder in free diving and has strengthened the position of the Sultanate of Oman in regional and international forums.

source/content: arabiandaily.com (headline edited)

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OMAN

Remembering Hoda Sultan: The ‘Bella Donna’ of Egyptian Cinema / 05 June

Sunday marks 16th death anniversary of Egyptian film star Hoda Sultan (15 August 1925 – 5 June 2006).

One of the brightest stars of the 20th century, Sultan made a mark in Egyptian cinema history as an actress and singer in many musical films. 

Born Gamalat Bahiga Abdel-Aal Al-Haww in Kafr Abu-Gendy in Gharbiya governorate on 15 August 1925 to a mother of Turkish descent and a father who married several times and had many children.

Sultan married at a young age and divorced after the birth of her first daughter.

She embarked on the cinematic career inspired by her brother, renowned singer Mohamed Fawzi, taking steps into Egyptian radio with her first song in 1949.

As Ashraf Gharib writes for Ahram Online: “She auditioned for a role that was announced by Nahas Studio, who was searching for a new face capable of singing to participate in Bella Donna (1950), directed by Niazi Mostafa, and landed it. Despite the fact that it was a small part, she emerged closer to the world of fame.”

She then began receiving numerous roles starting with El-Usta Hassan (Foreman Hassan, 1952), directed by Salah Abu-Seif, and Hokm El-‘Awy (The Rule of the Powerful, 1951) and Tager El-Fadayeh (The Scandalmonger, 1953), both directed by Hassan El-Imam.

She landed starring roles in many musical films such as Habib Albi (The Love of My Heart, 1952) by Helmy Rafla and Taxi El-Gharam (Love Taxi, 1954) by Niazi Mostafa.

In addition, Sultan also appeared in Hamido (1953) by Niazi Mostafa, Ga’alouni Mograman (They Made Me a Criminal, 1954) by Atef Salem, El-Mouhtal (The Swindler, 1954) by Helmy Rafla, Sawaq Nos El-Leil (Midnight Driver, 1958) by Niazi Mostafa, Abeed El-Gasad (Slaves of the Flesh, 1962) by Kamal Attiya, and two of her more important films with Hassan El-Imam: Zawga Min El-Sharea (A Wife From the Street) and Sai’dat El-Regal (Men’s Huntress) both in 1960.

“However, Hoda Sultan’s artistic and feminine climax represented itself best in Ezzeddine Zulfikar’s masterpiece Emra’ah Fi El-Tariq (A Woman on the Road, 1958) where she played the she-devil crossing your path and stinging you with her carnal desires,” writes Gharib.

“When Egyptian cinema turned towards duos, Hoda Sultan formed one with Farid Shawqi, her husband at the time. Between the pair, the remarkable duo made 19 films together, starting with Bella Donna and The Rule of the Powerful.”

Her artistic maturity became obvious in El-Sirk (The Circus, 1968) by Atef Salem, DalalEl-Masriya (Dalal the Egyptian, 1970) by Hassan El-Imam, El-Ikhtiyar (The Choice, 1971) by Youssef Chahine, and Shai’ Fi Qalbi (Something In My Heart, 1971) by Kamal El-Sheikh.

She then became the first-choice actress for the film and television roles which needed a maternal character. This landed her the role of Amina in Naguib Mahfouz’s famous trilogy adapted to TV and that of Tafida in Something in my Heart, adapted from Ihsan Abdel-Quddous’ novel.

Her important TV appearances included Layali El-Helmiya (El-Helmiya Nights, 1987), Arabesque (1994), El-Wattad (The Tent Pole, 1996), and Zizinia (1997).

Sultan passed away on 5 June 2006 in Cairo.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg

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EGYPT

Morocco Produces Half of All Canned Sardines Worldwide

Morocco exports 90% of its sardines to 100 countries.

With a 3,500-kilometer-long coastline, Morocco produces half of all canned sardines available in supermarkets worldwide. 

Mehdi Dhaloomal, Executive Manager of Moroccan canned sardine producer MIDAV, recently reported that the North African country annually produces 1.4 million tonnes of seafood, with sardines making up 850,000 of the collected seafood. 

The Moroccan businessman stressed that Morocco has “exclusive” access to the sardina pilchardus walbaum which is a type of sardine that is only available in Bretagne, France, and southern Morocco. 

Morocco notably fishes 60% of the sardina pilchardus walbaum that is primarily directed to exports – 90% of local sardines are exported. 

Earlier this year, the Moroccan Ministry of Fisheries stated that canned sardines represented 53% of total seafood exports in 2021. 

Besides sardines, frozen octopus and squid, as well as fishmeal, represent most of the 778,000 tonnes of Moroccan exported seafood, valued at MAD 24.2 billion ($2.46 billion). 

Yet canned sardines remain a major food export of Morocco and Dhaloomal considers the country to be a “leader in the valorization” of sardines. 

He further noted that the canned food sector in Morocco consists of roughly 50 Moroccan and international companies that are based along the country’s coastline.

Currently, the industrial zone of Sali delivers 30% of Moroccan production of sardines that is primarily exported to 100 countries. Export destinations include European countries such as the United Kingdom market, where 60% of consumed canned sardines come from Morocco. 

Dhaloomal shared the prior statements at the first edition of the Safi Investor Day. The May 25 event gathered Moroccan and foreign investors operating or interested in the Marrakech-Safi region with the objective of celebrating the region and its assets, as well as attracting additional Moroccan and foreign capital. 

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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Morocco Produces Half of All Canned Sardines Worldwide

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MOROCCO

Winners of 3rd edition ‘ICCROM – Sharjah Award for Good Practices in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management in Arab Region 2021-22 Award’

H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, attended on Thursday an honouring ceremony of the third cycle’s winners of the ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Good Practices in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management in the Arab Region (2022-2021), and the second cycle of the ICCROM-Sharjah Award The Arab cultural heritage for young people, in the House of Wisdom.

The ceremony began with a speech delivered by Dr. Zaki Aslan, Regional Director of International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) in Sharjah.

Dr. Aslan mentioned the award’s goal to spread the notion of cultural and heritage preservation in the region within international standards through initiatives and events that help exchange knowledge and experience.

Then John Robbins, Chairman of the Executive Board of ICCROM, thanked the Ruler of Sharjah, for sponsoring this event and all other activities in the region.

H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah and the audience watched several visual films about the ICCROM-Sharjah Award and the winning projects.

H.H. honored the winners of the 3rd cycle of the ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Good Practices in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management in the Arab Region; and the 2nd cycle of the Arab Cultural Heritage Award for the Young.

The grand prize for the 3rd cycle went to Beirut Assist Cultural Heritage (BACH), a project to recover the affected area following the 2020 blast in the Port of Beirut, Lebanon; and the rehabilitation and restoration of residential courtyards and historical buildings in the vicinity of Al Aqsa Mosque, Palestine.

In the Special Excellence category, four projects won: sheltering and protecting Hicham’s Palace’s mosaic floor, Palestine; Collart-Palmyre: a comprehensive project on the Baalsahamîn temple in Palmyra; the revitalization and conservation of the cultural heritage of Al Qarara Village in Gaza, Palestine; and the digital documentation of historical documents in Jerusalem, Palestine.

As for the 2nd cycle of the Award for the Young, the student Sarah Hassan Al Hosani, from the Al Amal School for the Deaf – United Arab Emirates, and the student Al Yasar Al Masry, from the Omar Bin Al Khattab College – Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Association – Lebanon, won first place.

The student, Ghala Abdel Rahim Mahmoud Al Raheel, from Bayouda Al-Sharqiya Mixed Secondary School – Jordan, won first place in the photography category, while the first place in the folk dance category, Al Takadum School for Basic Education – Libya, won the old street dance, and Qasr Al-Hallabat Al-Gharbi Mixed Secondary School – Jordan won first place in the awareness film category for the movie “A Story of Joy from the Heart of the Badia”.

The honouring ceremony was attended by Sheikh Salem bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ruler’s Office, Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Department Of Statistics and Community Development, Sheikha Alyazia bint Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, and several senior officials, ambassadors and representatives cultural organisations.

source/content: wam.ae (edited)

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SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES(U.A.E) / JORDAN / LIBYA /LEBANON / PALESTINE / SYRIA

Qatar World Record: Doha’s Iconic Tower ‘The Torch Doha’ launches the ‘World’s Largest External 360 Degree Screen’ and sets a Guinness World Record

Torch Tower set the Guinness World Record for being the largest external 360 degree screen in the world.

Aspire Zone Foundation announced that it will officially launch the screen on June 6, 2022 between 7pm to 9pm. 

Situated at 300m high and with 360° panoramic views across the city, the Torch Doha is the result of comprehensive architectural, engineering and technical design, formerly shaped to represent a colossal torch for the duration of the 15th Asian Games in 2006 held its symbolic flame.

source/content: thepeninsulaqatar.com (edited)

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QATAR

Amira Osman Hamed, Sudan’s Women’s Activist -Engineer Wins the International ‘2022 Human Rights Defenders at Risk Prize’

Sudanese women’s activist Amira Osman Hamed has won a Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, the organization announced.


The activist and engineer, now in her forties, has been advocating for Sudanese women for two decades, and was detained this year in a crackdown following the country’s latest coup.


She was among defenders from Afghanistan, Belarus, Zimbabwe and Mexico who also received the 2022 award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.


Osman “never deterred from her mission,” Dublin-based Front Line Defenders said in its awards announcement, “consistently (advocating) for democracy, human rights, and women’s rights.”


After first being charged for wearing trousers in 2002, she drew international support in 2013 when she was detained and threatened with flogging for refusing to wear a headscarf.


In 2009, she established “No to Women Oppression,” an initiative to advocate against the much-derided Public Order Law. It was finally repealed in 2019 after Bashir’s ouster following a mass uprising.


The award has honored human rights defenders annually since 2005.

source/content: arabnews.com (edited)

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Amira Osman Hamed. (AFP file photo)

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SUDAN

18th ‘UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture (SPAC)’ Awarded to Dunya Mikhail and Helen Al Janabi. Simultaneously Celebrates the Winners of its 17th Session in Paris.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris held a ceremony for the 18th edition of the Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture (SPAC), organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture in cooperation with UNESCO.

The Prize has been awarded to Dunya Mikhail, an American-Iraqi poet, and Helen Al Janabi, a Swedish actress of Syrian-Iraqi origin.

Sheikh Salem Khalid Abdullah Al Qasimi, Deputy Secretary of State for Heritage and Arts Sector, UAE’s Permanent Representative to the UNESCO, along with Professor Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of Cultural Affairs at the Department, in addition to dignitaries, writers, intellectuals and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the United Nations.

Ernesto Otuni Ramirez, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, gave a speech in which he expressed his gratitude and appreciation to H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and for his cultural and humanitarian renaissance role at the local, regional and global levels.

Afterwards, Abdullah bin Muhammad Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture, gave a speech in which he expressed his happiness at the continuation of the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture editions, appreciating the role of UNESCO in managing the prize and sponsoring many cultural programmes.

Al Owais and Ernesto Ramirez awarded the 18th Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture to Dunya Mikhail and Helen Al Janabi, in addition to honouring the winners of the 17th session.

source/content: wam.ae (edited)

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AMERICAN / IRAQI / SWEDISH / SYRIAN

Swedish-Egyptian Tarik Saleh Wins 2022 Cannes’ Best Screenplay Award

Tarik Saleh — an experienced Swedish-Egyptian filmmaker — clinched the Best Screenplay Award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday for his latest feature film, ‘Boy from Heaven’ (‘Walad Min El-Janna’).

The filmmaker — who started his career as a journalist — also received the Prix François Chalais Award for his film’s  “dedication to the values of life-affirmation.”

Boy from Heaven reportedly caused controversy amid Cannes’ Egyptian attendees after the premier, as its plot — which takes place in Al-Azhar University in Cairo — tackles the relationship between the country’s authorities and the Islamic organisation.

The film is produced by Atmo, Kristina Rikberg, and Fredrik Zander.

Previously, Saleh’s ‘Metropia’ (2009) won the Future Film Festival Digital Award of the Venice Film Festival, and his ‘Nile Hilton Incident’ (2017) — which was also set in Egypt — brought home the Grand Jury Prize from the 2017 edition of the Sundance Film Festival.

The winners of the 75th Cannes Film Festival are as follows:

– Palme d’Or: Ruben Ostlund for ‘Triangle of Sadness’ (Sweden, Germany, France, the UK)

– Grand Prix: Shared by Lukas Dhont for ‘Close’ (Belgium, the Netherlands, France) and Claire Denis for ‘Stars at Noon’ (France)

– Best director: Park Chan-wook for ‘Decision to Leave’ (South Korea)

– Best actress: Zar Amir Ebrahimi for ‘Holy Spider’ (Denmark, Germany, Sweden, France)

– Best actor: Song Kang-ho for ‘Broker’ (South Korea)

– Best screenplay: Tarik Saleh for ‘Boy from Heaven’ (Sweden, France, Finland, Denmark)

– Jury prize: Shared by Jerzy Skolimowski for ‘EO’ (Poland) and Charlotte Vandermeersch and Felix van Groeningen for ‘The Eight Mountains’ (Italy, Belgium, France, Britain)

– Camera d’Or for best first film: Riley Keough and Gina Gammell for ‘War Pony’ (The US)

– Best short film: Jianying Chen for ‘The Water Murmurs’ (China)

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg

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Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh poses during a photocall after he equally won the Best Screenplay prize for the film Boy From Heaven (Walad Min Al Janna) during the closing ceremony of the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes (Photo: AFP)

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SWEDEN / EGYPT / SWEDISH EGYPTIAN