Upping the Stakes in the Egyptian Film Industry - Adel Adeeb

• Author: Bhamati Viswanathan
• Position: Interview by Sylvie Castonguay, WIPO Editorial Team, Communications and Public Outreach Division. Acknowledgement Nour El Tony, Head, Sales and Marketing, Good News Group

The Egyptian film industry is notable for being well-established and highly successful, yet also fast-changing and uncertain. Steeped in a tradition of big production movies awaited by eager audiences domestically, Egyptian films enjoy the highest attendance rates in the pan-Arabic world. The industry nevertheless faces a constant series of challenges.

Financial concerns are paramount to Egyptian filmmakers, all of whom are obliged to raise financing for their own productions. Driven by a strong "star system" of homegrown Egyptian talent and ever-increasing labor and technical costs, adequate funding to cover spiraling production costs is harder to find. While revenues are derived through increasingly diversified distribution channels - including first-run cinema releases, television rights, and, in the long run, ancillary rights (DVD and DHD releases, etc.) - these revenues have grown only at a modest pace and are only fully realized when a film proves a major success.

As the upfront costs are great, and future returns tend to be uncertain, Egyptian filmmakers have been limited to a longstanding core of producers with deep pockets, diverse funding sources and a stable footing in the field. A few major players, many of whom serve variously as creator, producer, distributor, promoter, screen licensor, and/or secondary rights' manager, have profoundly shaped the industry.

Creative vision

Adel Adeeb is one such major player. Raised in the dynastic leading families of film, he has grown to develop his own multi-faceted role. He created the Good News Group, a highly successful and respected company in Cairo, which comprises various successful multimedia ventures in print and on the Internet. Yet it is the film production component of the Group that has won particular distinction through its ability to turn out compelling films that have drawn both popular and critical acclaim.

Three of Adeeb's recent films have been blockbusters. The Yacoubian Building, based on the best-selling novel by Egyptian author, Alaa el-Aswany, won the first ever Egyptian nomination for an Oscar and attracted international backing prior to release. The film is a highly artistic portrayal of diverse Egyptian lives and tackles many contemporary issues with great candor. Morgan Ahmed Morgan skillfully blends drama and comedy in a family saga. While Baby Doll Night presents...