Mohammed Hefzy: Celebs Rumors

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Sundance standout film “Animalia,” by French-Moroccan filmmaker Sofia Alaoui, has been acquired for distribution across the Middle East and North Africa by Egypt’s Film Clinic, the shingle headed by producer Mohammed Hefzy. Film Clinic, a top film and TV production company that branched out into theatrical distribution in 2016, picked up “Animalia” from Paris-based sales company Totem Films. Alaoui’s genre-bending pic is the tale of a pregnant young woman in Morocco whose life is upended by an alien invasion. In her review, Variety review critic Jessica Kiang praised “Animalia” as “a compellingly different cultural and social perspective on a classic sci-fi premise.” “Alaoui, working from her own taut, confidently ambiguous script, also gets to comment on the position of women in Muslim societies and the limits of wealth and organized faith, as well as elegantly outlining the eerie experience that is suddenly finding yourself startlingly alone during a time of shared global panic,” Kiang noted.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent In what is being hailedas a milestone, Egyptian director Mohamed Diab recently became the first Arab helmer to direct a Marvel project when he took the reins of the limited series “Moon Knight,” while Netflix launched its latest Arab original show, “Finding Ola,” toplining Cairo-based Tunisian star Hend Sabry. Sabry plays a happy divorcee who embarks on a journey of self-discovery, reflecting changing female roles in the region and the streamer’s thematically groundbreaking Middle East strategy.   Meanwhile, Egyptian producer Mohammed Hefzy, whose production company Film Clinic was behind Netflix’s first Egyptian original skein, “Paranormal,” became a member of the 2022 Intl. Emmy Awards jury.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentEgypt’s Film Clinic, the prominent indie shingle headed by Cairo Film Festival president Mohammed Hefzy, has scored the rare distinction of being the Middle East and North Africa region distributor of a trio of Arabic films that are in the running for the 2021 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.Film Clinic, which since 2006 has been producing a wide range of Arabic film and TV fare – most recently Netflix Arabic Original series “Paranormal” – in 2016 branched out and launched Film Clinic Indie Distribution and since then has been gradually stepping up activity.Film Clinic’s distribution arm is now set to soon release “When We’re Born” by Egypt’s Tamer Ezzat; “200 Meters” by