“Rish” by Omar Al-Zuhairi won, although it was not shown in cinemas (Twitter)
The Egyptian Film Critics Association, which is affiliated with the International Federation of Critics (FIPRCI), announced the two films that won the annual Critics’ Award for the best Egyptian film and the best foreign film shown in Egypt during the year 2022, where the first prize went to the film “feathers” It was directed by Omar Al-Zuhairi, while the second prize went to a movie “Triangle of Sadness” Directed by Swedish director Robin Ostlund.
The film “Rish” won the best Egyptian film award unanimously by the members of the jury, which consisted of 15 critics headed by Osama Abdel Fattah.
The jury indicated that the consensus, which has not been repeated for many years in the critics’ choices, reflects the artistic and visual value of the film, and at the same time confirms the poor general production level of Egyptian cinema during the past year.
The committee stressed the fact that the film would not have qualified for the award had it not been for amending its regulations early last year and allowing films shown on electronic platforms to participate, as “Rish” was not shown commercially in theaters for undisclosed reasons, after the work was subjected to a systematic and unjustified attack after it was shown in El Gouna Film Festival in 2021.
The committee called on those in charge of Egyptian cinema, including decision-makers, policy-makers and artists of various specializations, to reconsider the current situation, hoping that the situation, which it described as unfortunate, would not be repeated during the next year.
“Rish” reached the list of finalists, along with five other films, which are “2 Talaat Harb” by Magdi Ahmed Ali, “The Crime” by Sherif Arafa, “The Title Holder” by Hisham Fathi, “Kira Wal Jinn” by Marwan Hamed, and “For Zico”. by Peter Mimi.
As for the foreign film award, it went to the film “Triangle of Sadness” by Swedish director Robin Ostlund, which previously won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Festival last year.
Ostlund previously won the Egyptian Film Critics’ Award in 2017 for his movie “The Square”.
The Annual Critics Award is a well-established tradition for the Egyptian Film Critics Association since its establishment in 1972 under the supervision of the International Federation of Critics (FIPRCI), with the aim of highlighting the best local and international cinema productions, and contributing to the enrichment of cinematic culture among film critics, practitioners and audiences.
