Egyptian artists have called on the general public to embargo any American made film that is being screened in Egypt or sold in video stores as a means expressing their rejection of the ruthless US invasion of Iraq. It has been evident that before war on Iraq broke out, American films were gaining huge success with most screenings being sold out at theaters.
According to the Qatar based daily, Al Raya, the film "Gangs of New York" brought in big profits in Egypt overshadowing local films, making it impossible for fair competition. The film made over five million Egyptian pounds in profit, a matter which forced owners of cinema houses to cancel a number of scheduled screening, since it caused a negative impact on Egyptian films.
Film producers supported the ban against any US made film in order to gain some profit for their productions and in the hope of urging a wider range of audience. The film "Mido Trouble", which despite its acknowledged success, was affected by bringing in only a third of expected profits.
A number of other Egyptian films were affected dramatically, bringing in only a small percentage of profit. The films that were screened during the war also faced a downfall in profit, a matter which drove a number of producers to file complaints against owners of cinema houses for airing them at such crucial and sensitive times. –Albawaba.com
