Two of Egypt’s most iconic film personalities were the first recipients to be honored with the Omar Sharif Award. At a gala dinner taking place during the 45th Cairo International Film Festival, the beloved actress Yousra and the actor and current president of the festival, Hussein Fahmy, accepted the awards in recognition of their contributions to the growth of the entertainment industry in the Middle East.
The award was presented in Cairo on Nov. 20 by Helen Hoehne, president of the Golden Globes. “We are honored to present the Omar Sharif Award, celebrating outstanding achievements in Arab cinema and paying tribute of Omar’s remarkable legacy as a pioneering Egyptian artist,” she said.
The prize celebrates the contributions of creative people throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Sharif, the legendary star of Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, won three Golden Globes during his long career in film. It is particularly appropriate that Yousra and Fahmy shared this award, as they co-starred in Youssef Chahine’s famous film about filmmaking, Alexandria: Again and Forever (1989).
Yousra’s career in film, TV and music spans decades and began with her early work for filmmaker Youssef Chahine. “I have been fortunate to have worked with so many talented directors and craftsmen who have built the Middle East into an incredible center of filmmaking,” said the actress, who noted she had been a close friend of Omar Sharif. She has also served as honorary president of the Cairo Film Festival, she is on the advisory board of the El Gouna Film Festival, and she is a jury member at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Hussein Fahmy is a leader of the Egyptian film industry. Having starred in over 100 films, television and theater productions over his long career, he is now on his seventh year as president of the Cairo International Film Festival. His work on humanitarian causes includes having served as a United Nations Development Program Goodwill Ambassador for the Arab states.
“The Omar Sharif Award from the Golden Globes is truly one that I will forever cherish,” he said. “It is not only a recognition of one man’s career, but also the growth and importance of Egypt and the rest of the Middle East and Africa as a premier filmmaking region.”
