EXCLUSIVE: British-Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry is one of the stars of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival this year which kicked off its fifth edition on Thursday night.
Having hit the red carpet as the lead role of the opening film biopic Giant about the rise of UK-Yemeni boxing legend Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed, the versatile actor is also at the festival in competition title The Stories.
Deadline can reveal a first teaser for the Egyptian drama which makes its MENA premiere at the festival on Monday, having world premiered last month at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
The Stories is the third feature from Egyptian writer-director Abu Bakr Shawky whose first film Yomeddine debuted in competition in Cannes in 2018, and was then followed by Saudi-set camel race drama Hajjan.
El-Masry stars in his new film as an aspiring Egyptian concert pianist who connects with an Austrian girl in 1967 via a pen pal scheme. They begin a long-distance friendship that is viewed with suspicion by his relatives.
Against the odds, his new friend will encourage him to overcome his humble background to achieve his musical aspirations, against the backdrop of Egypt’s turbulent years from the late 1960s until the 1980s.
The cast also features Karim Kassem, Ahmed Kamal, Sabry Fawaz, Sherif El Dessouky, Khaled Mokhtar, Ahmed El Azaar and Amr Abed.
The film is produced by Cinenovo, Film Clinic, Lagoonie Film Production, Film Square, Shofha Productions, Film AG, Fox in the Snow, Wrong Men.
