Egyptian filmmaker Kawthar Younis starring in Venice
Film Festival has selected the short film “My Girlfriend” by Younis for its 79th edition
The Venice Film Festival has selected the short film “My Girlfriend” by Egyptian filmmaker Kawthar Younis for its 79th edition.
A short film by Egyptian director Kawthar Younis, “My Girlfriend”, has been chosen for the 79th Venice Film Festival to compete in the category of “Orizzonti Cortometraggi Concorso” (Horizons Short Film Competition) as a representation of the latest aesthetic trends.
Younis, born in 1993 has a whole portfolio of festivals under her belt, having shown her internationally acclaimed work at the Cairo International Film Festival, Amman International Film Festival, Odense International Film Festival, Shnit Film Festival, Gonna Film Festival, and more.
Ever since she was a little girl, Younis has always dreamed of being a filmmaker, inspired by her father’s role in Egyptian cinema. She graduated in 2015 from the Cairo Higher Institute of Cinema with her first feature film, “A Present from the Past”, following in her father’s footsteps.
The Cairo Higher Institute of Cinema was the first academic institution of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa when it was founded in 1957 by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, granting degrees in the art and science of cinema. Younis’ father, Mokhtar, was a cinema professor at the Institute.
In Venice, the younger Younis will be competing with her 16-minute film starring Marc Haggar, Elham Safieddine, Fadel El Garhy and Sonia Farid. The Venice Film Festival takes place from August 31 to September 10, with an aim to raise awareness of up and coming artists and promoting international filmmakers.