Produced by Film Clinic, '19B' is headlined by Sayed Ragab, Ahmed Khaled Saleh, Nahed El Sebai, and Fadwa Abed.
In April/May, Ahmed Abdalla’s 19B, produced by Film Clinic and distributed by Film Clinic Indie Distribution, will make its international premiere at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival as part of the Images of Africa programme, followed by the Hollywood Arab Film Festival, and the Malmö Arab Film Festival as part of the official competition. Screenings at both Minneapolis and Malmo festivals will be attended by the director.
Previously, 19B premiered in the International Competition of the 44th Cairo International Film Festival, where it was the only Egyptian film in the running and won three awards — Best Arabic Film, the FIPRESCI Prize, and the Henry Barakat Award for Best Artistic Contribution, which was given to the Director of Photography Mostafa El-Kashef.
The film takes place in an abandoned villa in a once-refined neighbourhood, where an old guard has been living since the 1960s. The villa has become his whole world, when suddenly, this world is turned upside down by an overzealous young man with ruthless ambition, forcing our protagonist to face his fears, his past and a world that he no longer recognises.
19B stars Sayed Ragab, Ahmed Khaled Saleh, Nahed El Sebai, Fadwa Abed, Magdy Atwan, and Maher Khamis.
Ahmad Abdalla used 12 pets, including dogs and cats as stray animals that used to live in the villa, which is guarded by the property guard.
19B is Ahmed Abdalla’s third collaboration with Film Clinic after Microphone (2010) and Rags & Tatters (2013).
The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, which is running from April 13 to 27, is one of the longest-running festivals in the US, promoting art and film as a tool for intercultural understanding, education, entertainment, and exploration.
Meanwhile, the Hollywood Arab Film Festival, which is running from April 26 to the 28, was established to provide Arab filmmakers with a new space for networking, learning, and making films. The festival aims to familiarize filmmakers from other countries with the Arab cinema industry and its distinctive style.
Malmö Arab Film Festival, which is running from April 28 to May 4, is Europe’s largest Arab film festival.
