“Stories are what made people survive so far in history.” This is what brought Mahmoud El Far, Egyptian engineer-turned-screenwriter, to the TV and Film industry. “From gathering around campfires to reading books, seeing a play, and watching Netflix. Even [in] religions, people are mostly compelled by the stories they found in the Quran or the Bible. Stories give so much meaning to life, and TV and film let you share these meanings with other people,” El Far said. Egypt has long had one of the strongest film industries in the region, with many of its classics being regional fan favorites for Arabic speakers. In 2013, the Dubai Film Festival curated a list of the Top 100 Arabic Films, 52 of which were Egyptian classics. While Egypt’s Film and TV industry has historical roots to stand on, El Far, who has worked on TV sketch comedies, online shows, cartoons, adult animations and films, believes it should be far stronger than it is currently is. “It should be [like] Hollywood or even better. But you can never compare Egypt to Hollywood. I believe that it’s not our fault that our content isn’t…
Meet Three Young Egyptian Screenwriters Determined to Bring Fresh Storytelling to the Film & TV Industry
August 26, 2020
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