Mohamed Hesham Abia Hosts Masterclass at Cairo International Short Film Festival
Journalist and screenwriter Mohamed Hesham Abia presents a masterclass on turning investigative journalism and scientific research into short films, as part of the 7th Cairo International Short Film Festival. 📝🎥
The Cairo International Short Film Festival will host a masterclass titled "Writing the Short Film Based on Investigative Journalism and Scientific Research", led by journalist and screenwriter Mohamed Hesham Abia, on Wednesday, December 17 at 6:00 PM in Cinema El-Hadara Hall, Cairo Opera House. 🎬✨
🎓 Masterclass Objective
The event aims to provide a knowledge-sharing platform for learning how to transform research and journalistic investigations into short dramas, exploring cinematic approaches to realistic content with a balance of precision and artistic imagination. 🖋️💡
🌟 Mohamed Hesham Abia – Bridging Journalism and Cinema
Mohamed Hesham Abia is renowned for blending journalism with cinema, having worked extensively in Egyptian and Arab journalism before turning to screenwriting. His works are grounded in field verification and exploration of contemporary social and human issues.
Notable works include:
-
60 Minutes – addressing sexual exploitation
-
Btolou’ El-Rouh – tackling extremism and terrorism
-
Rassalat El-Imam – exploring historical debates between religion and politics
-
Sila Rehm – surrogacy and abortion issues
-
Expired – on online gambling 🎥💡
Abia has won multiple awards, including the Egyptian Cultural Journalism Award, and Best Screenplay from the Arab Critics Awards for "Btolou’ El-Rouh". His series "Every Week on Friday" was nominated for an International Emmy, and his debut feature film "Banat El-Basha" premiered at the Cairo International Film Festival, November 2025. 🏆✨
📅 Open Invitation
The festival, running from December 16–21, invites writers, filmmakers, and cinema enthusiasts to attend the masterclass, benefiting from Abia’s professional expertise and learning how to turn research materials into impactful visual storytelling. 🌟🎬
🎭 Festival Management
The Cairo International Short Film Festival is chaired by director Waheed Sobhi, with Ahmed El-Nabawy as festival director, Tamer Begato as executive director, and general supervision of the Cairo Films Platform by film critic Ahmed El-Masry. 🎥✨
“Bang Koly” premieres today in a medical and human drama exploring the behind-the-scenes world of public hospitals through the story of an anesthesiologist facing professional conflicts and difficult challenges while trying to prove herself beyond her family name.
Lebanese actress Manal Issa has achieved a new milestone in her film career after winning the Best Performance Award in the “Filmmakers of the Future” section at the Locarno Film Festival for her role in “L'estive.”
Syrian star Sulaf Fawakherji spoke openly about motherhood and her relationship with her two sons, revealing how she balances her artistic career with family life and her position on their possible future in acting.
Egyptian actress Sahar Rami revealed one of the most difficult experiences of her early life after traveling to Iran at the age of 16 with a ballet troupe, only to become stranded there for an entire year following the outbreak of the Iranian Revolution.
