The Aswan International Women Film Festival will honour Egyptian film director Sandra Nashaat during its fifth edition, scheduled to take place from 24 to 30 May 2021.

"Sandra Nashaat, a talented director with a unique vision, is considered among the most important women filmmakers in Egyptian cinema in recent years," the festival’s organisers said on Friday, explaining that they "are looking to the future in their honourees' selections this year."

Nashaat has directed eight long narrative film, with most seeing major commercial success; Mabrouk Wa Bolbol (1998), Leh Khaletny Ahebak (2000), Harameya Fi KG2 (2002), Haramiyyah Fi Tayland (2003), Mallaki Iskandariya (2005), Al Rahina (2006), Masgoon Transit (2008), El-Maslaha (2012).

Her late activities included a number of patriotic documentary works like 'Sharek' and 'Ehlam' in 2014 and 'Sha'ab W'Ra'eis' in 2018, in which she interviewed Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

The festival is organised under the auspices of the National Council for Women, with the support of the ministries of culture and tourism, the governorate of Aswan, the European Union, the Drosos Foundation, the Filmmakers Syndicate, and the ACT Foundation.

Other honourees will also include famous Egyptian actresses Donia Samir Ghanem and Elham Shaheen, awarding the latter the Isis Achievement Award for “her long career and achievement in the film industry.”

This year's event was initially planned to take place in February; however, the dates were moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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