Entertainment News Roundup

Maree to helm Hamaki and Zaki’s new film

Director Khaled Maree has been chosen to helm Mohamed Hamaki’s debut cinema experience ‘Fouk Gezira Lewahdena’, in which he will star alongside Mona Zaki.

“Director Khaled Maree has signed with Arabian Production and Distribution Co. to helm the movie,” scenarist Tamer Habib told FilFan.com.

He also added that he’s finished writing the story and is currently busy finishing the script.

Shooting is scheduled to start in April.

Nancy Ajram finishes new clip

Lebanese star Nancy Ajram has finished shooting a new music video for ‘Lamset Eid’ with director Laila Kenaan from her latest album, according to Akhbaar El-Nogoum.

The song, written by lyricist Fares Eskandar, is composed by Selim Salama and arranged by Hadi Sharara.

The clip, which had a $250,000 budget, is expected to start airing during Valentine’s Day.

Ajram and Kenaan will be collaborating on another music video for another song from the same album soon.

El-Sakka debuts as a lyricist

Actor Ahmed El-Sakka has finished writing his first song, and chosen singer Mohamed Nour to perform it.

“Ahmed El-Sakka has written his first song entitled ‘Malek.’” Nour liked it and decided to add it to his new album,” Nour’s rep Amira Amir told FilFan.com exclusively.

Meanwhile, Nour is busy working on his album which is scheduled for release during May.

His last album “Wahshak Awi” came out in 2007 and was produced by EWE.

Sherine wraps up “Benensa”

Pop singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab has wrapped up recording a new song entitled “Benensa” to be included in her upcoming album, which will be released in February.

“Sherine recorded the song I wrote to be included in her new album. She is currently adding the final touches for the album before its release,” composer Khaled Ezz told FilFan.com exclusively.

Ezz revealed that the song was written by Khaled Tag and arranged by Tarek Madkour.

Sherine’s last effort was the album “Batamenak”, produced by Rotana, which only included two new songs.

Entertainment News Roundup

“El-Gezirah” to represent Egypt in Oscars

 

The higher Egyptian committee for choosing the movies taking part in the Academy Awards has announced that “El-Gezirah” will be representing Egypt this year in the Best Foreign Film category.

 

The announcement, made in a press conference held in the Opera House, was attended by actor Ezzat Abou-Ouf and critics Rafik El-Sabban and Youssef Sherif Rezkallah, according to Egyptian news Web site Youm 7.

 

Egyptian actor Ahmed El-Sakka played against his stereotypical role in this true story that details the rise and fall of an upper-Egypt drug lord, with Hend Sabri costarring. The script was written by Mohamed Diab and the movie was directed by Sherif Arafa.

 

“El-Gezirah” won a number of local and regional awards, including the Egyptian Oscars’ Best Picture for 2008.

 

 

Ehab Tawfik’s Songs for El-Zamahlawiya

 

Singer Ehab Tawfik has finished recording the soundtrack for Mohamed Fouad’s upcoming cinema project ‘El-Zamahlawiya’.

 

“I finished arranging the music for the El-Zamahlawiya’s soundtrack. Singer Ehab Tawfik sings the song which will be used in the advertising campaign for the movie that will be released on satellite channels soon,” music arranger Touma told FilFan.com.

 

“The song, titled ‘Eedi Fi Eed Akhouya’, is written by Ayman Bahgat Amar and composed by Mohamed Yehia,” Touma added.

 

El-Zamahlawiya will feature football stars from both El-Ahli and El-Zamalek teams. Among them are famous players Amr Zaki, Essam El-Hadari, Khaled Bibo, Gamal Hamza, Mohamed Shawki and Ahmed Samir Farag.

 

Actors starring in the movie include Ezzat Abo Ouf, Salah Abadllah, Intesar, Hala Fakher and Ahmed Azmi.

 

The film, co-produced by Fouad and Rotana Production Company is slated for an Eid El-Fitr release.

 

 

Engi Ali out of “Kol Leila”

 

Osama El-Sheikh, president of the specialized Nile networks, has decided to revamp the “Kol Leila” show in a final attempt to revive the failing Nile Life program.

 

“El-Sheikh decided to replace the editor in chief, Mohamed El-Sayed Saleh with Mohamed El-Shabba. He also decided to replace Engi Ali,” a source in the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) told FilFan.com exclusively.

 

Mariam Amin and Heba El-Abaseeri will replace Engi Ali given her “involvement in a number of other projects and shows”.

 

“Kol Leila” is an all-encompassing talk show like “Sabah El-Kheir Ya Masr” which airs daily on Channel 1.

 

 

ManarTV mutilated “El-Fanar”, says Bahgat

 

Egyptian director Khaled Bahgat has accused the Hezbollah television network Al-Manar of mutilating his series “El-Fanar”. He claims they constantly fiddled around with the content without his consent.

 

“The network took off the opening and ending credits and just kept the main actress’ name, as well as the writer and director’s, and totally disregarded the names of all the other cast and crew. They can sue the station for this, the network don’t have any right to do this,” Bahgat told Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm..

 

“The network also deleted entire scenes without asking me. They also deleted or altered the soundtracks and added some of their own Islamic chants and replaced the songs ‘El-Nour Gai Men Port Said’ and ‘Al-Shohada Yensoronak’ with ‘Allah Akbar Fo’ Kaid Al-Motad’,” he added.

 

The network also digitally covered up the actresses’ arms, which confused the viewers, and deleted the entire rape scene with actress Emi, even though “the scene was done tastefully, and was an indicator to the rape of the country.”

 

Bahgat insisted that he wasn’t a tailor but an artist, and revealed he complained to the producers in the Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) to no avail. Regardless of the incident, he will send them the remaining 15 episodes.

 

“El-Fanar”, which stars Sabrine, Ahmed Rateb, Mahmoud El-Gendi, Tarek Lotfi, Rania Youssef and Emi, details Egyptian contemporary history from 1956-2008.