Promoting Social Change through Film

Screenings of “Dardasha” & “El Ghaba” on October 4th 2010 at 7:30 pm

at Darb 1718 Egyptian Contemporary Art and Culture Center

followed by a panel discussion with filmmakers :

Hala Galal, Ahmed Atef & Nagham Osman

Between Women (Dardasha Nisayia, Hala Galal, 55 min) explores four generations of women in one Egyptian family and won the Silver Eagle award at the Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam, Holland.

The Jungle (El Ghaba, Ahmed Atef, 90 min) portrays the lives of street children in Egypt and received international acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.

Hala Galal is the founder of Semat, a nonprofit organization, cultivating the next generation of independent filmmakers in Egypt. Hala has produced dozens of documentaries and feature films. She also participated in the U.S. Embassy’s International Visitor Leadership Program, a 3 week exchange linking her to practitioners in her field from all over the world.

Ahmed Atef received his BA in Filmmaking from High Cinema Institute in Egypt. As a Fulbright recipient, he pursued his MA at the University of Southern California.

He has directed 3 feature films and 8 documentaries which have been presented in over 35 international film festivals. Atef is a film critic for Al Ahram newspaper and is the founder of Egypt Films, an independent film company.

Nagham Osman is a rising, young filmmaker who has worked on dozens of films on a range of social issues including Veiled Voices, a profile of female Muslim leaders in the Middle East. In 2010, Osman formed Qudrat Pictures, an independent film production company.

This event is free and open to the public. Films and the panel discussion will be held in Arabic.

For any questions, please contact Haytham Atef at MonesHA@state.gov