Following months of anticipation, the film Ras El-Sana (New Year's Eve) directed by Mohamed Ahmed Sakr will finally be released across Egyptian cinemas on 5 February. The news was announced by Mohamed Hefzy, who is the film's scriptwriter and one of its producers represented by his company Film Clinic in cooperation with Lagoonie Film Production. Ras El-Sana is the debut feature film for Sakr. Hefzy is a leading star in the Egyptian film scene, with many films produced – a number of which won international awards – and several scripts. Hefzy was also the president of the last two editions of the Cairo International Film Festival (the 40th held in 2018 and the 41st held in 2019). During his tenure, he has introduced many new components to the festival, created a number of international partnerships and repositioned the festival on the international cinema scene. Ras El-Sana's cast includes well-known names in Egyptian cinema: Eyad Nassar, Ahmed Malek, Basma, Shereen Reda, Ingy El-Mokadem, Huda El-Mufti, and Ali Kassem. According to Ras El-Sana's synopsis, "the film takes place over the course of one night in a coastal resort town where the crème de la crème celebrate the New Year in 2009. As the celebrations are underway, relationships grow more complex, and secrets are uncovered, changing the way they see themselves and those around them forever." Ras El-Sana saw its world premiere at the 18th Marrakech International Film Festival, which took place between 5 and 13 December 2019. Poster of film Ras El Sana 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
