Latest news with #HishamAli
CairoScene
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Aswan International Women's Film Festival Pays Tribute to Umm Kulthum
As part of Egypt's 'Year of Umm Kulthum' celebrations, the AIWFF will honour the legendary singer's enduring impact. Apr 12, 2025 The Aswan International Women's Film Festival (AIWFF) has announced that its ninth edition, set to run from May 2nd to 7th, will pay tribute to legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, whose voice and cultural legacy continue to define Arab music. The tribute aligns with the Ministry of Culture's nationwide designation of 2025 as 'The Year of Umm Kulthum', honouring her enduring influence across generations. This year's AIWFF poster features a stylised portrait of the iconic vocalist, designed by Egyptian visual artist Hisham Ali, who is known for creating signature poster art for prominent cultural events and festivals. The design draws from Umm Kulthum's signature aesthetic—complete with her iconic sunglasses and scarf—while connecting it to the visual language of contemporary cinema. The AIWFF has steadily grown into one of Egypt's most prominent platforms for celebrating women's contributions to cinema, especially in Upper Egypt. Alongside screenings, panel discussions, and competitions focused on women's narratives, this year's edition is expected to feature programming connected to Umm Kulthum's legacy—including special screenings, musical homages, and exhibitions. This tribute adds another layer to the Ministry of Culture's broader national campaign celebrating Umm Kulthum throughout 2025, with concerts, museum exhibitions, and educational events taking place across the country.
Al-Ahram Weekly
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Aswan International Women Film Festival names 9th edition after Um Kalthoum - Screens - Arts & Culture
The 9th edition of the Aswan International Women Film Festival (AIWFF, 2-7 May 2025) has been named after Um Kalthoum, whose face decks the festival's official poster. This celebration of Um Kalthoum coincides with the 50th anniversary of her passing. The poster's designer, Hisham Ali, said he aimed to create a design that reflected Um Kalthoum's cinematic and artistic spirit, underscoring her exceptional position in Arabic music and cultural history. Hisham Ali, who often creates artwork for the AIWFF and other film festivals' posters and who has won several awards, commented on this year's design: "The most prominent element of the design is the black, wavy film reel, which is used to form the features of Um Kalthoum's face. This reflects the visual connection between cinema and music. The twisting of the reel around the image suggests movement and continuity, as if Um Kalthoum's legacy is still alive through generations, much like cinema brings creativity from the past to the present." The 9th edition of the Aswan International Women's Film Festival will be held from 2 to 7 May in the southern city of Aswan. The festival has yet to release its vibrant lineup of films and jury panels. Year of Um Kalthoum At the beginning of this year, Egypt's culture ministry designated 2025 as the Year of Um Kalthoum. It announced its comprehensive programme of events and activities to highlight Um Kalthoum's musical legacy and profound impact on the Arab world. Many artists, ensembles, and art institutions equally embrace the celebrations. The ministry's General Authority for Cultural Palaces, the Cultural Development Fund, and the Cairo International Book Fair are among the bodies that either dedicated a prominent segment to Um Kalthoum or set year-long activities celebrating the Star of the East. Even before that, the celebrations crossed Egypt's borders. In early February 2025, the Paris Philharmonic Hall (Philharmonie de Paris) in France hosted the Egyptian Arab Music Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Alaa Abdel-Salam, which held a concert featuring singers Rehab Omar and Eman Abdel-Ghany. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Egypt Today
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Today
Aswan International Women Film Festival Unveils Poster for Its 9th Edition Honoring the Iconic Umm Kulthum
The Aswan International Women Film Festival has revealed the official poster for its 9th edition, taking place from May 2 to 7, 2025. This year's poster pays tribute to the legendary 'Star of the East,' Umm Kulthum, commemorating 50 years since the passing of the most influential woman in the Middle East and Arab world over the past century. Poster designer, artist Hisham Ali, explained that he aimed to create a design that captures the cinematic and artistic essence of Umm Kulthum, an unparalleled figure in the history of Arabic music. The poster embraces a conceptual art style, blending various creative elements to highlight the central theme: celebrating Umm Kulthum through the lens of cinema. 'The centerpiece of the design is a winding black film strip, cleverly shaped to form the features of Umm Kulthum's face,' Hisham revealed. 'This visual fusion between cinema and music symbolizes her timeless artistic influence. The flowing film strip suggests movement and continuity as if Umm Kulthum's legacy remains alive and vibrant across generations—much like cinema itself, which carries creativity from the past into the present.' Hisham Ali added, 'For this poster, I used simple, abstract lines to depict her features—a style known as line art. This minimalist approach highlights the essential contours without overwhelming details, allowing viewers to focus on the harmony between the art of cinema and the power of music.' A celebrated visual artist, Hisham Ali has designed posters for several international festivals, earning multiple global accolades for his work. The 9th edition of the Aswan International Women Film Festival is held under the patronage of Egypt's Ministries of Culture, Tourism, and Social Solidarity, along with the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority, EgyptAir, the National Council for Women, the Syndicate of Cinematic Professions, Aswan Governorate, and Aswan University.
