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

‘The King’ to be Honored on New Year’s Eve

The Egyptian Opera House President Abdel-Meneim Kamel will be honoring acclaimed singer Mohamed Mounir at his upcoming annual New Year’s Eve concert for his many contributions as a singer.

“Honoring Mounir is a way to show we appreciate this artist who started his music career in 1996 at the Opera House,” Kamal said, according to El-Youm El-Sabea.

Mounir said it’s his job to enrich people with his music. “My job as a singer is to serve the people, stimulate their minds, refresh their thoughts, and enrich their souls with knowledge. I think that my message has reached my audience, especially since honesty is the key to my fans,” said the King.

“This is confirmed with every performance – especially at the Opera house – and with every new album,” Mounir said. “I work hard for the audience, that’s why they named me ‘their king’. I think that I never let my fans down throughout the past 30 years – if I did then I think they would have left me.”

“Honestly, I love my fans and I try to please them – this is my job and I can’t live doing anything else,” he added.

In other news, Mounir will be performing at the German University in Cairo (GUC) on Thursday, October 30. The stage is currently being prepared for an impressive show. Mounir will be presenting a surprise for his fans during the gig.

Haifa Wahbe Causes Trouble at School

Nabil Ibrahim, principal of El-Shorouq School in Maadi, denied reports stating that Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbe shot scenes from her debut film ‘Dokkan Shehata’ inside the school.

He also shot down rumors claiming that the Ministry of Education is investigating the matter. “The ministry hasn’t taken any action towards the school officials because Haifa didn’t enter the school at all and she shot all her scenes outside,” Ibrahim said, according to El-Masri El-Youm.

Director Khaled Youssef also confirmed what Ibrahim said. “The scenes that were shot inside the school were by Amr Saad and Amr Abde-Gelil only. Haifa’s scenes were filmed outside the school and Haifa wore an upper Egyptian galabiya garment – in other words her clothes weren’t revealing,” Youssef said.

“All the scenes filmed inside or outside the school were shot after all the necessary permits were obtained. We didn’t film the scenes in secrecy as some rumors claimed,” he added.

It was previously reported that one of the neighbors living near the school had contacted the ministry to complain that Wahbe’s presence at the school was having a negative effect on education, which is what caused chaos and led the ministry to investigate the incident.

Doctors Warn Adel Emam

Acclaimed actor Adel Emam, who was recently honored at Cinéma-vérité international festival in France, decided to visit optometrists while he was in the country because he has recently been experiencing trouble with his eyes.

The doctors advised him not to stress his eyes and to rest them from being in front of the cameras for hours, so that he doesn’t risk having problems with his sight in the future.

“The French doctors discovered that veteran actor Adel Emam has a tear duct blockage which has caused him sight problems and constant pain. They advised him not to spend a lot of time in front of the cameras or in any strong lighting,” a source close to Adel Emam told FilFan.com.

The doctors warned ‘El-Zaiem’ if he doesn’t follow their advice, his eye problems will get worse and he may be forced to end his acting career

Despite all that, as soon as he arrived to his homeland, Emam contacted writer Youssef Maati to start working on his upcoming movie, which is scheduled to start filming in a few weeks.

Huge Budget Set for the Arab Media Festival

President of the Radio and Television Union and head of the high committee of the Arab Media Festival, Major Ahmed Anis, has set the budget for the festival’s opening and closing ceremonies.

“Acclaimed lyricist Sayed Hegab will be writing the lyrics for the songs of the opening and closing nights. Hegab will be paid LE 400,000 for the job,” a source from the union told FilFan.com.

“Veteran composer Amaar El-Shereie will be paid LE 400,500 to compose Hegab’s lyrics. Director Gamal Abdel-Hamid will be paid LE 250,000 to helm the event,” the source added.

Stars performing at the event include Mohamed Abdou, Hussein El-Jasmi, Sherine and Amal Maher.

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Wahbe reschedules Shams gig

Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbe has asked the Shams Club administration to reschedule and postpone her upcoming gig until she finishes her scenes in her cinema debut, “Dokkan Shehata.”

“Haifa asked us to postpone the concert which she was supposed to perform in with Amr Mostafa on the 23rd of October. It’s now going to be on November the seventh,” Shams president Mohamed El-Mallah told FilFan.com exclusively.

Meanwhile, music network Mazzika have bought the rights for the scheduled concert to show it on the network and ZOOM.

“Dokkan Shehata” also stars Amr Saad, Amr Abdel-Geleel and Ghada Abdel-Razek and is directed by Khaled Youssef.

Jamal Soliman Tapped for an Emirati-Italian Cinema Project

Jamal Soliman is currently attending work sessions in Abu Dhabi to prepare for his role in an upcoming historical fiction movie to be titled ‘El-Moreed’ or ‘El-Telmeez’. The new film will be the first Emirati-Italian cinema production.

“When I was first offered the role I didn’t accept the idea because I refuse to portray the Arab man as the [West] would like, but later I discovered that there are moderate and reasonable opinions in the project,” Soliman told El-Badeel newspaper.

“The film’s Italian scripter Mario Bozein surprised me with the movie’s story; it tackles a time in history when the church in Europe tortured scientists while Muslim caliphs in the Islamic nation honored and respected scientists and valued their company,” Soliman added.

The movie follows the story of an Arab chemist that lives in one of the Moroccan islands in the Mediterranean Sea who tries to fight Satan with chemistry.

Other actors starring in the project haven’t been named yet, but American actor Leonardio Di Caprio is said to be nominated for a part in the film.

Nelly Karim Replaces Menna Shalabi in ‘9 Melli’

After agreeing to join the cast for new film ‘9 Melli’, actress Menna Shalabi pulled out of the project and has been replaced by Nelly Karim.

Shalabi declined to play the part – after previously agreeing – because the producers of the film, Melody Pictures, refused to grant her the pay she asked for.

The company insisted that they would not pay more than LE 800,000, the amount that Shalabi was told she would get at the time she agreed on the role, according to El-Mawead magazine.

The production company then offered Karim the role and the actress agreed, but requested that they delay the shooting until she finishes shooting her role in new film ‘Wahed Sefr’, in which she stars in alongside Elham Shahin.

‘9 Melli’ is based on a story by Ibrahim Eissa and scripted by Ahmed El-Tayeb and Ehab Radi, who will be helming the movie.

Actors Khaled El-Nabbawi, Amr Abdel-Gelil and Abbas Abou El-Hassan are nominated to star in the new cinema project.

Sherine extends contract with Rotana

Egyptian pop singer Sherine has extended her contract with production house Rotana as part of the company’s plan to maintain and personally manage their artists’ careers.

“Rotana now has a special department for concert management that started work this October. The department’s first landing was with Sherine Abdel-Wahab,” Rotana media manager Hossam Mostafa told FilFan.com.

This move comes in time to downplay rumors that surfaced recently alleging a rocky relationship between the singer and Rotana.

Sherine is still tied to the company for three more albums, which have no time limit for completion.

Her upcoming album will be released by the end of 2008.