Egypt’s Official Nomination for the Oscars ‘Ward Masmoum’ Wins 16th Award

The Egyptian drama, Ward Masmoum (Poisonous Roses), has won the award for Best Film at Morocco's City and Cinema Festival, marking its 16th overall award since its world premiere at the 2018 edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Based on Ahmed Zaghloul Al-Shiti’s 1990 novel, Saqr’s Poisonous Roses, Egyptian filmmaker Ahmed Fawzi Salah’s debut feature has been screened at over 20 festivals worldwide, winning Best Foreign Film at the Diorama International Film Festival in India. The movie also won three more awards at Cairo International Film Festival for Best Arab Film, the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition, and the United Nations Population Fund award, adding to its impressive haul.

Also chosen as Egypt’s official nomination for the 2020 Oscars’ Best Foreign Film category, the film tells the story of woman clinging onto her brother, who wants to escape the impoverished Cairo neighbourhood they live in. The film stars Ibrahim El-Nagari, Merihan Magdi, Mahmoud Hemida, Mohamed Berakaa and Safaa El-Toukhy.