Latest news with #AmrMansi
Daily News Egypt
25-05-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool
Palm Hills Developments has officially launched the inaugural Palm Hills Squash Open tournament, taking place from May 22 to 27, featuring 48 top-ranked international male and female players from 13 countries and a total prize pool of $250,000. The event is sponsored by Cairo 3A Group and organized by ievents. During a press conference, Palm Hills emphasized that the tournament reflects its strategic commitment to supporting Egypt's sports sector, with a long-term vision of preparing Egyptian athletes to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Yasseen Mansour, Chairperson and CEO of Palm Hills, stated: 'This tournament marks a step forward in positioning Egypt as a regional sports hub and highlights the important role of sports in community development. It also strengthens the Palm Hills Sports Club as a world-class platform that empowers future champions across all disciplines.' Amr Mansi, CEO of ievents, expressed his enthusiasm about hosting the tournament, noting that it aims to showcase Egypt's excellence in organizing global sporting events and reinforcing its leadership in squash. Ayman El-Gamil, Chairperson of Cairo 3A Group, said that the company's sponsorship reflects its belief in sports as a vital tool for youth empowerment and a reaffirmation of Egypt's global standing in squash. The tournament is part of a broader initiative by Palm Hills Sports Club to support the growth of Egyptian squash and demonstrate the country's capabilities in hosting high-profile international events, contributing to both sports development and tourism. Palm Hills has ensured full readiness for the tournament by equipping three squash courts within the Palm Hills Sports Club, in addition to a main championship court located at Palm Hills October with a seating capacity of 850 spectators. The venue also includes advanced medical and training facilities to provide athletes with a professional and supportive environment.
Broadcast Pro
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
El Gouna Film Festival to spotlight Egyptian cinema at Cannes 2025
Throughout the festival, the Egyptian Pavilion will host a series of insightful panel discussions, addressing key aspects of filmmaking and industry trends. El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has announced a lineup of events and panels to be hosted at the Egyptian Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival, running from May 13 to 24, 2025. In partnership with the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) and the Egypt Film Commission (EFC), GFF's participation is set to elevate the presence of Egyptian and Arab cinema on the global stage. Amr Mansi, Founder and Executive Director of GFF, said: 'Our presence within the Egypt Pavilion at Cannes underscores the power of collaboration. Together with CIFF and EFC, we aim to amplify the voice of Egyptian cinema and forge meaningful connections with the global film community.' The Egyptian Pavilion will serve as a hub for international engagement throughout the festival, offering a curated series of panel discussions that connect global industry professionals with opportunities and talent from Egypt and the wider Arab world. The panels will cover critical topics such as Egypt's potential as a global filming destination, cross-industry collaboration between Hollywood and Cairo, and strategies for strengthening the regional film festival ecosystem. A key highlight of the programme includes the panel 'Filming in Egypt: Egypt as a Global Filming Destination' on May 14, which will explore the country's appeal and practical advantages for international film productions. Subsequent sessions will examine cooperation between the American and Egyptian film sectors, the growth of co-productions within the Arab world, and the rise of emerging Arab filmmakers. Artistic Director Marianne Khoury underlined the programme's broader goals, and added: 'From insightful discussions to celebrating the success of films like Aisha Can't Fly Anymore (Un Certain Regard) and Life After Siham (2025 ACID), our program in Cannes is designed to spotlight the talent and opportunities within the Egyptian film landscape.' The Egyptian Pavilion aims to serve as a vibrant space for filmmakers, producers, distributors and other professionals to connect, build partnerships, and discover the creative energy coming out of Egypt and the Arab region.
CairoScene
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
El Gouna Film Festival Returns to Cannes with Egyptian Pavilion
El Gouna Film Festival Returns to Cannes with Egyptian Pavilion There's something quietly powerful about El Gouna Film Festival's return to the Croisette this May, anchored by an Egyptian Pavilion. Not with fanfare, but with intent. As the festival becomes part of the fabric of the Cannes Film Festival, taking place May 13th to 24th, 2025, its presence speaks not just to visibility but to Arab cinema's growing voice in global cinema. From a dedicated pavilion at the Marché du Film to a slate of panels and industry conversations, El Gouna Film Festival, joining forces with the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) and the Egypt Film Commission (EFC), arrives not as a guest but as a co-author in shaping what comes next. At the heart of this Egyptian delegation is a flagship panel on May 15th that brings long-standing voices of Egyptian cinema into the conversation, not as subjects, but as storytellers in their own right. 'Egypt: Arab World's Blockbuster Nation,' co-hosted with the Arab Cinema Centre, features legendary actress Youssra, El Gouna Film Festival President Samih Sawiris, Cairo International Film Festival President Hussein Fahmy, El Gouna Film Festival Co-founder Amr Mansi, Egypt Film Commission Managing Director Ahmed Badawi, independent director Morad Mostafa, and producer Sawsan Yusuf. It's a conversation that marks a shift, where box office success and creative ambition are no longer at odds, but in dialogue. 'Our presence within the Egypt Pavilion at Cannes underscores the power of collaboration. Together with CIFF and EFC, we aim to amplify the voice of Egyptian cinema and forge meaningful connections with the global film community,' Amr Mansi, co-founder GFF, tells CairoScene. Across five public events, the Egyptian Pavilion explores co-production, regional filmmaking, and cross-cultural collaboration. Panels like 'Filming in Egypt' and 'Co-Producing With and Within the Arab World' reimagine Egypt not as a cinematic backdrop, but as a site of both creative energy and industrial opportunity. 'Bridging the American & Egyptian Film Industries' and 'Spotlight on Rising Arab Filmmakers' reveal an industry less focused on proving itself and more on defining its own terms. This presence also extends to the official Cannes selection. 'Aisha Can't Fly Away', directed by Morad Mostafa and produced by Sawsan Youssef, premieres in the Un Certain Regard section, a historic win for a project that first found its footing at GFF's CineGouna Platform in 2021. The film, a multi-national co-production, follows a Somali domestic worker in Cairo, mapping the intimate terrain of invisibility and belonging. GFF's journey at Cannes culminates with its partnership in the Marché du Film's Co-Production Night, a gathering built not on red carpets, but on exchange. It's a space that mirrors GFF's larger purpose: to foster collaboration and to expand what global cinema looks like and who gets to shape it.
CairoScene
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Screams, Sweat & Sriracha: Inside Egypt's Biggest F&B Showdown
Million Pound Menu is what happens when serving shisha and streaming BeIn Sports on five screens no longer counts as a business model. There was a time roughly five years ago - which in Egypt's F&B timeline counts as the Mamluk dynasty - when launching a successful restaurant required exactly two things: an industrial-strength shisha setup and at least five flatscreens showing BeIn Sports on loop. It didn't matter what was playing. Football, fencing, underwater synchronized wrestling - just keep the screens on and the smoke billowing, and you were in business. Plates were optional. If you served food on actual ceramic instead of cardboard, congratulations - you were officially 'fine dining.' But then, something deeply unsettling happened: people started caring. About ingredients. About concepts. About décor that didn't involve laminated menus and LED strip lights in seven shades of anxiety. And just like that, Egypt's F&B scene began evolving at a pace typically reserved for Dubai Bling and bread prices. It's now one of the fastest-growing industries in the country - second only to our waist-to-hip ratios, which, much like sourdough starters, are expanding with alarming enthusiasm. Entering the food scene with all the subtlety of a fajita platter in a silent dining room is Million Pound Menu - a reality show that dares Egypt's most ambitious culinary hopefuls to do the unthinkable: open a fully functioning restaurant, impress a panel of hardened investors, and survive 48 hours without weeping into the beurre blanc. Produced by IMPCO (co-founded by Amr Mansi and Ahmed Luxor - the same duo behind Shark Tank), the show hands three chefs per episode a pop-up space in District 5 by Marakez, where they must prove that their concept amounts to more than a mood board and a well-lit Instagram grid. Real diners show up (after registering online, naturally). Real money is at stake. And yes, someone eventually plates a single scallop adorned with interpretive microgreens and calls it a 'journey.' Presiding over this polite chaos is a panel of actual industry operators - not consultants, not lifestyle bloggers, but people who've endured breakfast service on the first day of Eid. We're talking Mirette Aly (The Lemon Tree & Co.), Ayman Baky (Baky Hospitality), Mohamed Abdelhak (Mo Bistro), Omar Fathy (Eatery), Loay Torky (Buffalo Burger), and Sameh El Sadat (The Bakery Shop). Between them, they've launched hospitality empires, survived menu overhauls, and most likely extinguished a fire caused by a flaming wheel of imported cheese. They determine which chef can make the leap from dreamer to operator - which, in industry terms, is the chasm between having a poetic concept about pickled turnips and actually sourcing, storing, pricing, and justifying them to a customer who believes their sandwich should arrive faster because they 'followed you on Instagram.' Because these days, launching a restaurant is less about culinary innovation and more about surviving a soft launch full of entitled friends, a supply chain held together with duct tape and denial, and a walk-in fridge that's one sausage wheel away from quitting. Still, one winner walked away with real capital, real mentorship, and the mildly terrifying promise of turning a vision into a viable, brick-and-mortar reality. It's part dream, part pressure cooker - and in this economy, perhaps the most optimistic gamble one can make.
Broadcast Pro
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
El Gouna Film Festival opens submissions for eighth edition
Participating films will compete for the El Gouna Star awards, with a total of $234,000 in cash prizes distributed across the different competition. El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has begun accepting film submissions for its eighth edition, set to take place from October 16 to 24, 2025. The submission period, which commenced on April 1, 2025, will remain open until June 30, 2025. Known for its cultural scene and commitment to artistic innovation, the festival is held in the picturesque town of El Gouna, providing an inspiring setting for filmmakers and industry professionals. The event celebrates cinematic excellence and serves as a prominent platform for both emerging and established filmmakers. Competing films will vie for the esteemed El Gouna Star awards, with a total prize pool of $234,000 distributed across three main categories: Feature Narrative Competition, Feature Documentary Competition and Short Film Competition. Additionally, films exploring humanitarian themes can compete for the Cinema for Humanity Audience Award, while those focusing on environmental issues are eligible for the El Gouna Green Star Award. Marianne Khoury, Artistic Director of GFF, shared her anticipation for this year's submissions and said: 'As we embark on the journey towards our eighth edition, I am particularly excited about the potential for discovering new cinematic voices and narratives. Each year brings a fresh wave of creativity, and we are deeply committed to providing a platform where emerging talents can shine alongside established filmmakers. We eagerly await the stories that will shape this year's festival and invite filmmakers worldwide to share their unique perspectives with us.' Beyond film screenings, GFF continues to foster industry engagement through a lineup of networking sessions, industry events and panel discussions aimed at stimulating dialogue and collaboration among filmmakers and professionals. Amr Mansi, Executive Director of GFF, emphasized the festival's ongoing commitment, added: 'The El Gouna Film Festival has established itself as a key event in the regional and international film calendar. As we look towards our 8th edition, our focus remains on curating a selection of impactful films and facilitating crucial industry discussions. We are driven by the desire to contribute to the growth and development of the film industry and eagerly anticipate the compelling narratives that will define this year's festival.' Over the years, GFF has cemented its status as a major cultural event, gaining increased recognition from the global film community. The rising number of submissions further underscores its importance in the international cinematic landscape. Filmmakers interested in participating can submit their entries via the official festival website, where they will find comprehensive guidelines and entry forms.
