CAIRO 27^th INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

INTERNATIONAL JURY

NABILA EBEID

(MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY)

Actress

EGYPT

        Known as "Egypt’s Premier Star," Nabila Ebeid is endowed with all the characteristics of a truly great actress who deserves to occupy a unique position amongst Egyptian female film stars. 

Ebeid was born in Cairo, to a moderately wealthy family. As a child of ten, her dreams revolved (as she herself admits) around becoming one of the beautiful actresses whose faces adorned film posters and cinema marquees.

        The opportunity arrived when she met director Atef Salem, who gave her her first role (a non-speaking part) in his film No Compromise.

        Luck threw its doors wide open when director Niazy Mustafa gave her the lead role in his film Rabe'a Al-Adawiya.

        Luck continued to smile on Nabila Ebeid. Atef Salem offered her the lead female role opposite Omar Sharif in The Mamluks. Ebeid played her role proudly and confidently, standing before the great actor who was surrounded by an aura of international fame, popularity and admiration.

        Despite this double dose of luck, for many years Nabila Ebeid was unable to get a real chance to prove her talent. Despite the many roles she played in Egypt and Lebanon and on the stage, only one or two films can be considered an exception. Still, Nabila Ebeid was able to lift the siege against her, prove herself and make her presence known.

        At last, she decided to produce her own films, and unleash her true potential without depending on the generosity of others. The result was the film She Fell into a Sea of Honey. For her first production Nabila Ebeid chose the best crew any producer could choose, including the famous romance novelist Ihsan Abdel Kodous.

        Next came the Golden Age, when she began collaborating with director Hussein Kamal. This great magician of film was able to extract a world of emotion from Nabila Ebeid in The Virgin and the White Hair.

        Nabila Ebeid continued to collaborate with various directors, each adding a new dimension to her talent. The late Atef El-Tayeb presented her in his film The Prison Cell and Director Samir Seif took advantage of the political side of Nabila in The Dancer and the Politician.