Renowned late Egyptian director Saad Arafa was honoured during the celebration of the 100th run of the play Cinema Masr, which premiered at the Artistic Creativity Centre in July 2019.

During the celebration, which took place on Sunday, Amr Arafa, the son of the late director, was offered a certificate carrying the name of his father.

Cinema Masr is one of the plays created and directed by Khaled Galal, head of the Actor's Studio, operating under the Artistic Creativity Centre, which he also manages. Galal also heads the Cultural Production Affairs Sector.

Cinema Masr (Photo: courtesy of the Actor's Studio)

The cast includes 65 students presenting on stage more than 40 scenes from memorable Egyptian films in a united dramatic context created by the director.

The ceremony was attended by renowned figures from Egypt's cultural scene, including actress Nadia Mustafa, artist Tarek Abdel-Aziz, director Amr Abdin, artist Ahmed Keshk, as well as media professionals and journalists.

Saad Arafa (1923-1998) was a well-known Egyptian director. His sons, Amr and Sherif, are both renowned filmmakers. 

Among Saad Arafa's best known films are Lekaa fil ghurub (1960), Maa El-Zekrayat (With Memories, 1961), Agazet El-Saif (Summer Vacation, 1967), and Dumoa Fi Laylat Alzafaf (Tears on the Wedding Night, 1981).

Cinema Masr (Photo: courtesy of the Actor's Studio)

Each year, scores of young actors enrolled at the Studio graduate and enter the theatre and film scene. The first and most successful play created by the graduates and directed by Galal was Qahwa Sada (Black Coffee), which premiered in 2008.

Many of Qahwa Sada's actors have become popular in Egyptian theatre and cinema, including Mohamed Farrag, Amir Salah Eldin, and Hisham Ismael.

The play had its special rerun with the original cast on its 10-year anniversary during the 25th Cairo International Festival for Experimental and Contemporary Theatre (2018).

Cinema Masr (Photo: courtesy of the Actor's Studio)

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