Sufi twists photo: Sherif Sonbol The Tannoura Whirling Dervishes troupe were part of a rich Ramadan programme offered by the Cultural Development Fund, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, at various venues in Islamic Cairo, where the spirit of Ramadan is overwhelming. The performance took place to live Sufi music at Al-Ghouri Caravansary on Al-Azhar Street. The show is also to be held on 13, 14 and 15 August at the same venue. ( see Listings p.17 ) photo: Ayman Barayez In honour of the Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil El-Arabi, the Omani Ambassador to Egypt and permanent representative of Oman at the Arab League Khalifa Al-Harthi, along with the embassy's media attaché Salem Al-Habsi, gave an Iftar at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Present were many high-profile figures including the Wadi Al-Gadid Governor Tarek El-Mahdi, Al-Ahram writer Afkar El-Kharadli, the Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Al-Qattan, the Moroccan Ambassador Mohamed Farag Al-Dokali and his Lebanese counterpart Khaled Ziyada. On the 64th anniversary of India's Independence, a flag hoisting ceremony will be held by the Indian Ambassador to Egypt R. Swaminathan at India House in Zamalek on 15 August. photo: Abdel-Hamid Eid Acting star Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz cheerfully welcomed guests in to his son's wedding at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel. The actor Karim and his wife Anne celebrated their special day with family and friends and with huge numbers of celebrities including Samir Ghanem, Ahmed El-Saqqa, Ahmed Bedir, Mahmoud Yassin, Ezzat El-Alaili, Salah Abdallah, Gamal Suleiman, Ahmed Adam, Mervat Amin, Dalal Abdel-Aziz, Fifi Abdou and Ahmed El-Saadani. Media figures such as Mahmoud Saad, Amr El-Leithi, Hala Sarhan, Wael El-Ibrashi and Ahmed El-Meslemani were also present to congratulate the couple. Volunteers In Action (VIA) is a community service club that aims to make a difference in the life of the underprivileged in Egypt, particularly by providing orphans and residents of Meet Okba and Al-Basateen with financial and moral support. To this end, five programmes have been launched: Housing and Supplies, Micro-Loans, Literacy, Junior Development, and Children's Development. All have been successful. Starting on 21 July, VIA members and friends of the club have been planning Ramadan packages guaranteed to last for the rest of the holy month. Buying the contents was done through donations collected by students who make up the organisation. A total of 3,800 packages were successfully sealed and delivered in time to Paint A Smile On An Orphan's Face as prescribed by VIA's slogan and goal. Iftar-To-Go is another extension of the project which delivers hot meals to orphanages and families who truly need it from VIA's periodically updated and re-evaluated databases. The Film Clinic, founded by Mohamed Hefzi, announced the start of shooting the new film Banat Al-Aam, starring Ahmed Fahmi, Hisham Maged and Shiko, who are the heroes of the comedy Samir, Shahir and Bahir. The latter, produced by the company last year, was a great success and was recently distributed on DVD. Banat Al-Aam is written by the stars and directed by Ahmed Samir Farag. Director and writer Amr Salama, who is also the writer and director of the 2008 Film Clinic production Zay Al-Naharda, is finalising his new movie Asmaa, co-produced by New Century Film Production. The movie will star Hend Sabri and may be showing in international film festivals. On the other hand, Film Clinic's latest movie Microphone, was awarded the Best Film prize at the eighth African Film Festival in the Spanish city Tarifa which ended last July. Microphone, written and directed by Ahmed Abdallah, stars Khaled Abul-Naga, Yossra El-Louzi, Hani Adel as well as several emerging actors. Microphone has participated in more than 20 film festivals since its first international screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010 and has received awards such as the Golden Tanit of the Carthage Film Festival -- the first to be awarded to an Egyptian Film, and the Best Film award at the 30th Istanbul Film Festival. The Chairman of the Students Awareness Department and Head of the Youth Unit at the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, Wael Reda, obtained his Masters degree from the Studies and Environmental Research Institute at Ain Shams University. Reda 's Masters discusses the social role of the young in the environmental efforts. El Sawy Culturewheel held a thrilling folklore evening featuring Mohamed Rashad and his troupe, who recited folk tales accompanied by the rababa and the mizmar at the River Hall. Folk music lovers can enjoy the same concert again on 16 and 27 August.
