Om Amira Receives the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Film at AFRIFF in Nigeria

Back to Press Releases

Naji Ismail's Film Wins Its Fourth Award

Om Amira Receives the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Film at AFRIFF in Nigeria


Naji Ismail's Om Amira won the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Film at the 4th Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), marking the film's 4th award in its successful festival tour. Held in Nigeria, the festival's fourth edition took place from November 9th to November 16th, 2014.

Earlier this year, Om Amira has set off in several international film events and received the ACT award as the Best Women's Film at the 17th Ismailia International Film Festival within the Short Documentary section, for the film's brilliant portrayal of the issues and struggles of the working Egyptian mother. The short documentary, Om Amira, also earned the Best Cinematography Award at SIMA Awards "Social Impact Media Awards" within the Short Documentary section. Recently, Om Amira has won the Best Documentary Film Award at Aan Korb: BBC Arabic Film and Documentary Festival. The festival mainly focuses on screening the best works discussing the enormous changes that swept over the Arab world since 2010 uprisings.

Written and directed by Naji Ismail, Om Amira is produced by his Rahala Production and Distribution. The 24-minute film tells the story of Amira's mother (Om Amira) who resides with her family on a roof top in Downtown, Cairo. Having no other option but to toughen up to support her family and her sick daughter suffering from a heart condition, she sells home-made fried potato sandwiches for living all night long until the sunrise in the streets of the sleepless city of Cairo.

From December 4-8, 2014, Om Amira will be part of The Author's Passage: Mediterranean Interlacements film event. First launched in Sant' Antioco, Sardinia in 2005, the festival presents non-competitive film screenings from across the Mediterranean countries, which have received awards from regional and international festivals, aiming to promote young filmmakers who use their short films to express their own point of view about the contemporary society.

Previously, Naji's Om Amira has also been officially selected to contend at the Short Film Competition within Berlin International Film Festival 2014, marking the first participation of an Egyptian film in the competition. Om Amira also was part of the Short Film Corner at Cannes Film Festival.