Latifa Opens Arab Video Fest in Alexandria

Tunisian singer Latifa opened the second Arab Video Festival in Alexandria on Thursday with bits of songs from her new film Sukout Hansawwar (Quiet, We’ll Shoot), according to the Egyptian daily Al Ahram.  

The film, directed by Yousef Shahin, has not yet been publicly screened. A selection of films on the Palestinian Intifada was also presented at the festival opening ceremony under the banner The Intifadet Al Aqssa Through the Eyes of Video. 

The event will continue for another three days. Awards will be presented not only for best video, but also for best production, best recording, best director, best singer (male and female) and best editing. Thirty-seven singers from 14 Arab countries are participating in the competition. 

Artists most likely to win this year’s majority of prizes are Najwa Karam’s lavish Ashiqa (Infatuated) video, which was shot in Italy, and Nawal Al Zughbi’s Cuban-like clip Toul Omri.  

Other contenders are Amr Diab’s video for Tamalli Maak (Always With You), which for a change had a beautiful woman who could actually act, and Ragheb Alameh’s cute Sahharouni Al Leil, featuring animated mice and teddy bears.  

Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Kuwait, Iraq and Palestine are some of the countries participating in the glamorous event, while each contestant will sing once at the festival, which makes a total of twenty performances.  

Special tribute will be paid to the late Egyptian movie star Suad Hosni. The event will also highlight the works of Arab music pioneer Sayyed Darwish, actor Samir Sabri and Kuwaiti singer Abdullah Rweished. 

The results of the competition will by announced on Sunday at the concluding ceremony at Al Muntazah castle in Alexandria – Albawaba.com