Egyptian actor Ahmed Ezz to receive Cairo Int’l Film Festival’s Faten Hamama Award for Excellence Award for Excellence at the 2023 edition
Ezz, 51, was selected “in appreciation of what he presented throughout his artistic career that began since the end of the nineties,” reads a statement published by the CIFF on Sunday.
“We are interested in encouraging artists who have presented a lot to Egyptian cinema,” commented the CIFF President Hussein Fahmy adding, “we are so glad of this honouring ceremony to come, and we surely wish him success in what comes next.”
The CIFF Director Amir Ramses described Ezz as “an artist who ventured a lot, presenting different genres of films than those that used to top the box office, especially since comedies have been at the forefront of the box office for so many years.”
“Ezz was able to achieve great success, beginning with his cooperation with director Sandra Nashat and his work with the great director Sherif Arafa in more than one film, as well as the great director Marwan Hamed, and I truly believe that he is a distinctive artist in his choices and deserves this award for sure,” Ramses added.
A message of encouragement
The actor expressed gratitude for the recognition, considering the award a timely message of encouragement for his future career choices, as he believes he has more to offer in his artistic journey.
“Granting me this award is a message that approached me at the right time to encourage me to build a better future and career choices," stated Ahmed Ezz, adding, "I have not presented everything I dream of yet.”
After working in the hospitality field and fashion industry as a model, Ahmed Ezz launched his cinema career in 2001 with roles in El-Sharaf and Night Talk, before his breakthrough in A Teenager's Diary, a controversial film directed by Enas El Degheidy. Ezz is a graduate of Ain Shams University's Faculty of Arts.
Ahmed Ezz's success soared with notable roles in various films, including Girls in Love by Khaled Al-Hajar, Sana Oula Nasb by Kamla Abou Zekry, and Day of Dignity by Ali Abdel-Khaleq. He established his box-office stardom with Malaky Alexandria directed by Sandra Nashat in 2005.
Ezz collaborated with Sandra Nashat on significant films such as The Hostage (2006), Transit Prisoner (2008), and Al Maslaha (2012). He also worked with directors like Amr Arafa on The Ghost (2007) and Dream of Aziz (2012), Ahmed Alaa El-Deeb on Badal Faked (2009) and Al-Aref (2021), and Saeed E$l-Marouk on 365 Days of Happiness.
Ezz formed a successful partnership with Tarek El-Arian and delivered hits like Awlad Rizk (2015), Awlad Rizk 2 (2017), and The Cell (2018(.
In The Passage (2019), directed by Sherif Arafa, Ezz portrayed the heroics of the War of Attrition, solidifying his reputation. He continued his collaboration with Arafa in The Crime (2022).
Ezz has left an indelible mark on the Egyptian film industry with numerous box-office record-breaking films, including the latest Kira & El-Gin (2022) directed by Marwan Hamed.
As the oldest and most regular film festival in the Arab world and Africa, the CIFF holds a prominent position. It is also the only festival in the Arab and African regions registered under category A of the International Federation of Producers (FIAPF).
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