Ahmed el-Sakka and Mohammed Henidy This summer's movie season in Egypt has reported good ticket sales, despite Egyptians being busy with the presidential elections and the arrival of Ramadan. The Holy Month usually encourages producers and stars to make the most of the Eid al-Fitr holiday and the cinema season it entails, and in a few days movie screens across the country will feature Eid film releases. Of this year's crop, there are five comedy films in the offing, once again pitting Mohammed Henidy versus Ahmed el-Sakka in the box office.
Two other movies highlight the trouble and widespread corruption in the previous regime.
Arabstoday has taken a look at this year's cinema offerings for Eid. Ahmed el-Sakka recently starred in the “Khotot Hamra” (Red Lines) series as well as the summer movie “El Maslaha” (The Benefit), which made more than EGP 10 million in the box office. He also played a comic role in the movie “Baba” (Father). Actress Dora also stars with a el-Sakka for the first time in a movie written by Zeinab Aziz and directed by Ali Edrees.
Actor Mohammed Henidy will return to the big screen this year with “Teta Raheba” (My Grandmother is Horrible), writer Youssif Maaty's third production after they two worked together in the movie and television show “Ramadan Abo el-Alameen Hamouda” (Ramadan Abo el-Alameen Hamouda). The production was directed by Sameh Abdel Aziz, and also starred veteran actress Samiha Ayoub. The film is a social satire and revolves around the generational conflict between a young generation, represented by Henidy and the older generation represented by Samiha Ayoub, in which she plays the role of his grandmother.
Veteran comedian Sameh Hussein essays his first lead role in the cinema after his TV success in shows like “Kalby Dalily” (My Dog is My Guide) with actress Ayten Amer, Hassan Hosny and child actor Janah. The film is produced by Ahmed el-Sobky and directed by Ismail Farouk, the story is about a policeman who works in Upper Egypt, before being transferred suddenly to Marina. He then falls in trouble in a series of comic events, after which he falls in love with a girl who is completely differnet from him.
The final film is “Mr and Mrs Owais”, to be released in two weeks. Singer-actor Hamada Helal stars with actress Boshra, alongside Edward, Titiana and Ghasan Matar. The movie is written by Karim Fahmy and directed by Akram Farid, and considered the third collaboration between Helal and Akram Farid. The film is about a down-and-out singer called Owais, who inherits a big fortune from his father. He soon begins to lose his money in night clubs, but then his mother begins to search for a girl to marry her son. When she finds him one, he starts looking for flaws in her so that he can turn down the match, after which the vents of the movie begin to unfold.
Singer Mostafa Amar is also making a comeback with the movie “Khat Ahmar” (Red Line), which also stars Reiham Abdel Ghafour and Mohamed Lotfy. The movie is written by Ahmed al-Beh and directed by Mohamed Hamdy, and revolves around  a married man who works in advertising while married to an academic. His life is soon turned upside-down however.
A departure from comedy is “El Bar” (The Bar), a film which highlights the corruption in the previous regime. The movie stars Mohamed Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Abdallah Mahmoud, Ahmed Abdel Aziz and Mai Fakhry. It is produced and directed by Mazen el-Gabaly, and written by Mostafa Salem. The censorship approved the release under the condition if be released under an "Over 18 only" certificate due to some of its content doomed unsuitable for children. The movie has been attacked after some of it was released on social media websites, while others have lauded its "bold" theme.
Last but not least is “Saa Wa Nesf” that tells the story of a famous train that caught fire in El Ayaat in south Giza. It tells the stories of different people, highlighting the problems of the poor and problems in Egyptian society. The movie stars Fathy Abdel Wahab, Yosra el-Louzy, Eyad Nassar, Haitham Ahmed Zaki, Mohamed Adel Imam, Karima Mokhtar, Salah Abdallah, Ahmed Falawkas, Sawsan Badr, and Ayten Amer. The movie is written by Ahmed Abdallah and directed by Wael Ihsan.