Menna Shalaby to Be Feted at 40th Alexandria Film Festival

Egyptian actress, Menna Shalaby will be feted at the opening ceremony of the 40th edition of the Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries, headed by film critic Amir Abaza, slated to run from October 1-5.

Shalaby will be honored for her artistic achievements and long career in the world of cinema and art.

The festival is an annual event held in Alexandria, Egypt, and aims to disseminate film culture and the progress achieved in various branches of film art and to strengthen the relations among filmmakers around the globe in general and Mediterranean countries in particular. 

Shalaby, born on July 24, 1981, is the daughter of former belly dancer and actress Zizi Mustafa. She is one of the brightest actresses among the younger generation of Egyptian stars.

The actress showed a passion for acting from a very early age, no doubt due to the exposure to the industry her mother’s fame provided.

Shalaby made her film debut in “Al Saher” (The Magician) as Nour in 2001. She scored her next role alongside prominent actress Layla Elwy in the 2004 film “Baheb El Seema”.

Since then, she has co-starred with many talented actors and directors such as renowned director Youssef Chahine in the film “Heya Fawda” (2007), Ahmed Abdallah in the film “Microphone” (2010), and Yousry Nasrallah in the film “Baad el Mawkeaa” (2012) about the infamous Battle of the Camel during the January 25 uprising.