Carole Samaha breaks all records

Lebanese artist Carole Samaha hosted a live concert at the Emigrants Celebration Festival that was held at the “Thohoor Shwair” in Lebanon. More than 10 thousand fans visiting Lebanon came to see and listen to her beautiful voice and surrounded the stage.
This was Carole’s first participation in the festival. Unlike the previous years, Carole’s presence broke all records of the festival’s history since it was started with the largest numbers of loyal fans.

Razan Maghribi fired from an Egyptian drama series

The famous Lebanese television host and now singer/ actress Razan Al Maghribi was shocked after she was fired from taking a role in the new television drama series “Hawaket Boat” , which was a decision made by the director Ahmad Al Badri. Al Badri made his decision after a new regulation passed by Ashraf Zaki, head of the Egyptian Artist Association, stating that one permit is given for a non-Egyptian actor or actress annually to star in an Egyptian drama. Razan had gotten permission to star in another drama series “Ada Al Nahar”; therefore, she can’t use that permit for second drama series.

Hosny: I’m not a Dervish, Hamaqy Slandered Me

I know some are jealous of my success. They just try to keep me down. But I don’t care. I know what I do is what makes people really happy, which is how I talk back, said Tamer Hosny.

“They were jealous because I was hand-picked to sing for World Economic Forum in Sharm Al Sheik. They even tried to drive a wedge between gracious preacher Amr Khaled and me…I’m not Khaled’s official singer, meaning not all what Khaled has to say I take for granted, by default. I’m just a singer whom Khaled employed to sing his programs, Al Jannah Fee Butuna (Paradise At Home), opening.

Khaled is a dear friend who stood by my side during my crisis. Try to stand up to that,’ he used to tell me. Since then, I try to be as (religiously committed) as possible at work and in personal life.”

Hosny defended his Omar and Salma, too. “I didn’t kiss anybody. She [May Ezz Al Din] didn’t wear a bikini. All we did was just a ‘light hug,’ something you’d certainly find in a romance movie. It’s not acceptable, I think, to stand at an arm’s length when you talk to your babe.” Hosny also denied being a “dervish” after jail. I’ve came closer to God, though. In jail, I used to recite Quran, pray a lot, and still do, but not that I’ve turned into a dervish.”

More, Hosny denied being relinquished by producer Nasr Mahrous for $12 million and said he would not leave Mahrous for more. “So far, I work without a contract…I’d not leave him [Mahrous] because he backed me.”

On his argue with singer star Mohamed Hamaqy, Hosny said that Hamaqy attacked and slandered him. “I used to love him but we no longer communicate. Honestly, he’s much less popular than me.

“I’ve recorded only three episodes for Melody Music. My dad, mom, brother and band – all have been interviewed. Some critics and music composers are interviewed as well. In fact, I’ve signed my contract with Melody after I came out of jail and even before [Amr] Diab thought of recording his singing career,” Hosny dismissed following Diab’s lead.

Boshkash earns over 6m EGP in opening week, Saad relieved

Overall box office for super comedian Mohamed Saad’s latest movie, Boshkash has reached 6 million and 200 thousand EGP in its first in about 70 theatres around Cairo and other provinces.
Saad was deeply relieved at this news, having been extremely anxious – prior to the movie’s release earlier this month – to the point of cancelling his trip to Sharm El Sheikh where he was due to spend summer vacation with family; staying in Cairo would allow him to closely monitor box office and interact physically with moviegoers to gauge audience responses through field tours, in a unique promotion effort he is known for.
Saad is said to extend this effort to provincial theatres, accompanied by friends from outside the professional community.
Residents of Cairo’s quarter Sayyida Zeinab, where Saad used to live in the past, were surprised by Saad making an appearance and sacrificing sheep for the poor of the quarter, a charitable ritual which he used to do over the past seven years but exclusively during Al Adha (Sacrifice) Feast.
Saad had had received hard blows in the past two seasons, when Katkoot and Karkar failed to reach revenues made by his earlier spinoffs.

Ahmad Izz back on television

The young Egyptian actor Ahmad Iz will return to the small screen as a guest of honor on the new television drama series “Sit-Koom,” directed by Amro Qorah and Amro Arfah, his first television series.
Ahmad Iz appears as a young woman’s hair dresser. He becomes involved with a young woman who is not particularly beautiful but is crazy about her. The new television series will be aired on satellite channels this upcoming Ramadan season.

Cabaret Sequel Next Summer

Following huge success since premier this summer, Cabaret’s producer, Al Sobky Group, has decided on a sequel next summer.
Director Sameh Abdel Aziz and scriptwriter Ahmed Abdullah are to set up a series of workshops in order to discuss new cast instead of group killed in original, after an Islamist group exploded Jumana Murad, Fathy Abdel Wahab, Donya Samir Ghanim, Salah Abdullah, Magid Al Kidwany and others.
Characters who escaped death in original, such as Ahmed Bidair, May Kassab and Khaled Al Sawy, are planned to show up in sequel. Al Sobky has set 10 million Egyptian pounds for sequel, two and half million more than original.

Cabaret has been shown recently at Somoha Sports Club, Alexandria under auspices of Governor Adel Labib. Stars and movie makers were present.

Cabaret was also shown, only couple of days previous to closing of, Author’s Cinema Fourteenth Festival in Rabat, Morocco at Mohamed V Theater. Cabaret received wide acclaim.

Cabaret is planned to tour a number of Arab countries including UAE.

Al Khamisy: Nobody Threatened Me

City’s buzz: Hany Said, former Ismaili and current Zamalek player, Abd El.Monsef and his wife actress Leqaa Al Khamisy.
Rumors have it Abdel Monsef (Zamalek Club goal keeper) has attacked Said, helped by others, to help transfer Said to Al Ahly. Said denied all rumors in investigations, notwithstanding contact with Zamalek and his participation in last Zamalek vs. Al Ahly.
“That’s really odd. I never interfere with my husband’s business affairs. Plus, Hany has announced time and again I am out of question,” said Al Khamisy in an interview.
“Nobody whatsoever has threatened me. That’s at best bogus.”

Yousef Shahine's Death

The 82-year-old Egyptian International director Youssef Chahine, died today Sunday at the Armed Forces hospital in Cairo.
The late Chahine was transferred back to Cairo after the recent operation he underwent in France due to a brain haemorrhage.

Youssef Chahine was born in January 25th of the year 1926, he lived & was raised in Alexandria, and like most of the families residing in Alexandria at that period of time, there were five different languages spoken at Chahine’s home.
Despite being a member of the middle-class society, Chahine was tutored in private schools such as “Victoria College”, till he obtained his high school diploma (Thanaweya Amma).
After just one year in the faculty of Alexandria, Chahine moved to the U.S.A, and spent two years in the “Pasadena Playhouse” studying Film Making & Drama.
Youssef Chahine expressed his political ideas through his movies, he was against terrorism, and the Islamic extremists. After his return to Egypt, the cinematographer “Alvisi Orfanelli” helped him getting into the film making industry.
Chahine’s first movie was “Baba Amin” (Papa Amin) in 1950. A year after “Baba Amin”, his movie “Ibn El-Nile” (Son of the Nile) participated in Cannes Film Festival.
In 1970, he won the Golden Prize at the Carthage Film Festival, he also won the Silver Bear Prize in Berlin for his movie “Eskendereya leih?” (Alexandria..why?) (1978), which was the first of a four movies series depicting his own biography.
The other three movies are “Hadouta Masreya” (An Egyptian Tale) (1982), “Eskendereya Kaman w Kaman” (Alexandria Again & Again) (1990), and “Eskendereya – New York” (Alexandria – New York) (2004).
In 1992, “Jacques LaSalle” offered Chahine the opportunity to perform a theatrical play of his choice at the “Comedie Française”. Chahine chose to present Albert Camus’ “Caligula” which was a great hit.
At that same year, he started writing the script of the movie “Al-Mouhager” (The Immigrant) (1994). His wish of creating this movie finally came to life in the year 1994. Chahine appeared as an actor in many of his movies such as “Bab El-Hadid” (El-Hadid Gate), and “Eskendereya Kaman w Kaman” (Alexandria Again & Again).
In 1997, after 46 years and 5 previous invitations, Chahine received the 50th annual lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival, for his movie “Al-Massir” (The Destiny) (1997). He received the “Insigne d'officier dans l'ordre national de la legion d'honneur” from France in 2006.
Youssef Chahine had had multiple cerebral hemorrhages in the night of June 15th 2008, and in June 16th, he went into a coma due to a cerebral bleeding, and he was then moved to ‘Al-Shorouq” hospital in Cairo.
The physicians of the 82-year-old director stated that he was in a deep coma and that his status was “critical”.
Khaled Youssef, the co-director of Chahine’s movie “Heya Fawda” (Is It Chaos?), demanded that Chahine should be transported to France or England by a private jet in order to receive medication there.
Khaled Youssef confirmed that according to doctors, Youssef Chahine’s case requires his transfer abroad. Later that day, Chahine was transported to Paris on a private German Medical-Aid jet where he was admitted in the American hospital in the French capital.
Youssef Chahine is known for opposing the censorship, the extremism, the Egyptian government and the Islamists. Chahine, had always considered himself to be a part of the Egyptian Liberal generation that still struggles against the conservative censorship, either from the country or from the society.