The Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) will this year recognise prolific Egyptian writer Wahid Hamed with an Arab Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hamed, whose work spans four decades, is renowned for work such as El Le’eb Maa El Koba (1991), Ehky Ya Schehrezade (2009), and Ot W Far (2015).
He is known for tackling bold topics that result in occasional controversy. His film Al Baree (1997) faced a lengthy censorship battle because of its political nature; it only release 19 years after its production, with a change in its ending.
“Screenwriting is a unique art that is the backbone of any story, without which directors could not build a compelling and impactful tale. We are delighted to welcome Mr Hamed to Dubai to honour his talents with the Arab Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Abdul Hamid Juma, chairman of Diff, in a press release.
“I am very touched to receive this prestigious award from the Dubai International Film Festival and look forward to accepting the award in person in Dubai this December,” said Hamed.
Previous honourees include Gabriel Yared, Samuel L Jackson, Omar Sharif, Faten Hamamah, Adel Imam, Jameel Rateb, Sabah, Morgan Freeman, Sean Penn, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
Diff, in its 14th edition, will run between December 6 and 13. Registration is now open for the festival.
