The Aswan International Women Film Festival will dedicate its fifth edition, scheduled to take place between 24 and 30 May, to the name of late prominent filmmaker Kawthar Heikal, as a tribute to her lifetime dedication to cultural scene. The multi-awarded scriptwriter Kawthar Heikal (1945-2021), who also served as a director of a number of documentary films and TV programmes in the 60s, is most known for her romantic writings. Heikal wrote many important films with some considered among the Egyptian cinema's romantic classics, including Emberatoreyet Meem (1972), Dami wa Dumoua'i wa Ibtisamaty (1973), Habiby Da'iman (1980), Al-Azra'a W-Al-Sha'ar Al-Abyad (1983) and Al-Asheqan (2001), as well as a number of TV series. Egyptian iconic actress Faten Hamama in a master scene of Egyptian classic film Emberatoreyet Meem (1972), one of Kawthar Heikal's early writings The Aswan International Women Film Festival is organised under the auspices of the National Council for Women, with the support of the ministries of culture and tourism, the governorate of Aswan, the European Union, the Drosos Foundation, the Filmmakers Syndicate, and the ACT Foundation. The upcoming edition will honour Egyptian film director Sandra Nashaat and Palestinian filmmaker Najwa Najja, in addition to famous Egyptian actresses Donia Samir Ghanem and Elham Shaheen, awarding the latter the Isis Achievement Award for "her long career and achievement in the film industry." This year's event was initially planned to take place in February; however, the dates were moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
