After a successful round in international festivals, the Egyptian film Balash Tebosni (Kiss Me Not) will have its first commercial screening at Dubai's VOX cinema in Mall of the Emirates on Thursday and will run for one week. The film had its international premiere at the last edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) as part of the Arabian Nights programme. Kiss Me Not has taken part in several festivals, most recently at the Arab Film Festival in Paris and the Shanghai International Film Festival, during which the film received special mention at the first session of the Jounieh International Film Festival. The film was presented at the end of the Aswan International Women's Film Festival, the Tripoli Film Festival, and the Miami Film Festival, as well as at the Metropolis Cinema in Lebanon. The film is directed and written by Ahmed Amer, and "tracks the rise and fall of the kiss in Egyptian cinema in a comedy that blurs the line between documentary and fiction," according to its synopsis on Zawya Cinema's website. The story follows a famous female sex symbol named Fajr, who plays the leading actress in the directorial debut of a young director. She refuses to shoot a kissing scene in the film, causing a difficult situation on set as everyone tries to resolve the issue and finish the film. The film stars Yasmine Raees, Mohammed Mehran, Salwa Mohammed Ali and Aida Riad, with Sawsan Badr as guest of honor, as well as renowned directors Mohammed Khan and Khairi Bishara, who appear as themselves in the film. The film is produced by Middle West and Wicka for Productions and Distribution, MAD Solutions and distributed by MAD Distribution. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
