Sudden cancellation of Istinsakh private screening causes controversy

Al-Ahram Weekly

08-04-2025

The screening of the much-anticipated Egyptian film Istinsakh, starring Sameh Hussein, was abruptly cancelled just moments before its private screening on Monday evening, causing controversy among the cinema industry and audiences.
The cancellation of the private screening at a cinema in one of the malls in the New Cairo area raised questions and speculations about the reasons behind the decision.
Many people in Egypt's film industry and social media users claimed that the Egyptian Censorship Authority intervened to block the screening "due to certain controversial scenes in the film."
Scriptwriter and head of the Egyptian Censorship Board Abdel Rahim Kamel stated that the delay "is purely administrative" and unrelated to the film's content.
He denied that the cancellation of the private screening was related to censorship issues, saying that the filmmakers had submitted a request for a screening permit and signed it with the Censorship Authority after official working hours.
Per his statement, this caused a one-day delay, and the Egyptian Censorship Board would grant the permit the following day.
It's worth adding that concerns linked to Censorship are additionally emphasized by the continuous postponements of the release of The Atheist (El-Molhid), initially slated for 2022.
The most recent postponement, in August 2024, stirred yet another controversy. The film has not been released since.
Prior to Kamel's statement, Sameh Hussein, who stars in the film, took to his Facebook page to apologize to fans and the guests who were planning to attend the private screening.
He stated that the postponement was due to circumstances beyond the control of the film's production team.
"To everyone coming to the private screening of Istinsakh today, I sincerely apologize. The screening was postponed due to reasons beyond our control. Thank you, and your understanding means a lot to me," he wrote.
Hussein garnered significant attention during Ramadan for his popular programme, Qatayef.
The programme offered educational content, focusing on human values and ethical concepts and delivering positive messages that promote self-awareness.
The programme's success helped elevate Hussein's public profile and even attracted President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's attention.
During the annual Iftar banquet hosted by the Armed Forces in mid-March, while calling for a convention to discuss the future of the film and TV industry in Egypt, El-Sisi praised the programme and Hussein and stressed the importance of constructive and beneficial media.
Istinsakh is a thriller that explores the complex relationship between humans and technology. The film focuses on the impact of artificial intelligence on people's daily lives, examining the challenges and consequences associated with the widespread use of this technology in various aspects of life.
The film has yet to be released across Egyptian cinemas on 9 April.
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