Samir Farid

Samir Farid (December 1, 1943 – April 4, 2017) was an Egyptian writer and a world renowned film critic, journalist and film historian based in Cairo. He authored and/or translated over 60 books since 1966 on Egyptian, Arab and World cinema. He was the consultant for Cinema affairs in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. (2001-2016).
He was a member of jury in International film festivals since 1972. (Among them Oberhausen Film Festival 1978, DOC Leipzig Film festival 1984, Annecy International Animated Film Festival 1998, Torino Film Festival 2001, Controcorrente (Upstream section) of Venice Film Festival 2003, Thessaloniki Film Festival 2003 and Taormina Film Festival 2010.)
He also was the Head of The Cairo International Film Festival 2014.
Biography
Samir Farid was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1943. He graduated in 1965 from the High Institute of Dramatic Arts, department of Criticism, Academy of Arts. His graduation thesis was entitled "The Meaning of Silence in Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett". He also worked as the film Critic of Al-Gomhoreya daily in Cairo since 1965. Since 1967, he has been invited to more than 200 film festivals and seminars in Africa, Asia, USA and Europe.
He was a member of the Board in the Egyptian magazines Al-Cinema (1969) and Al Tali'a (Arabic: الطليعة ) in 1973, the Algerian magazine Al-Shshtan (1979) and the Cypriot magazine Al-Ofok (1987).
He was a co-Founder of the National Festival of Short and Documentary films (1970), the National Festival of Feature Films (1971), the Arab Film Critics Union and the Egyptian Film Critics Association, (1972).
Member of FIPRESCI since 1971.
Member of International Jury Boards since 1972.
The editor-in-chef of the Egyptian weekly journal El-Cinema Wa El-Finoun, 1977.
Member of the International Initiating Committee of the General History of Cinema 1982.
The representative of Variety in Cairo 1981- 1985.
Member of the Consultative Board of the Minister of Culture, 1989.
The Cinema Supervisor at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2001.
Published books
Cinema 65, Cairo, 1966
Film Guide 66, Cairo, 1967
U.S.A. Films in the Arab World, Cairo, 1967
Fahrenheit 451 (Film by François Truffaut), Cairo, 1967
The World through the Eye of the Camera (Cinema 66-67), Cairo, 1968
Cinema 69 (Cinema 68-69), Cairo, 1970
Cinema 70, Cairo, 1971
Dictionary of Selected Egyptian Film Directors, Cairo, 1974
October War into Film, Cairo, 1975
On Cannes Festival (1967–1973), Cairo, 1978
Arab Cinema Guide(Arabic-English) (Dossier on Egypt), Cairo, 1978
Arab Cinema Guide(Arabic-English) (Dossier on Iraq), Cairo, 1979
Reflections on Contemporary Cinema, Baghdad, 1979
Studies on Arab Cinema, Beirut, 1981
An introduction to Zionism Cinema, Beirut, 1981
Shakesperian Films, Beirut, 1981
The Identity of the Arab Cinema, Beirut, 1988
Naguib Mahfouz and the Cinema, Cairo, 1990
Dialogue with 24 World Film, Cairo, 1991
Reflections on Chahine's Cinema, Cairo, 1992
The New Realism in Egyptian Cinema, Cairo, 1992
Cannes Film Festival (1946–1991), Beirut, 1992
The Arab-Zionism Conflict in Cinema, Cairo, 1992
Cinema of Oppression, Cinema of Liberation, Damascus, 1992
Dialogues With 15 Egyptian Filmmakers, Cairo, 1993
Children Cinema, Cairo, 1994
Unknown Pages in Egyptian Cinema, Cairo, 1994
Faten Hamama, Cairo, 1995
Reflections on Chahine's Cinema (2nd Edition), Cairo, 1997
The Palestinian Cinema in the Occupied Lands, Cairo, 1997
The Contemporary Arab Cinema, Cairo, 1998
The History of the Filmmakers' Syndicate in Egypt, Cairo, 1999
Hassan Imam Omar: The Pillar of the Cinema Press in Egypt, Cairo, 1999
The Writers of Egypt and the Cinema, Cairo, 1999
Directors and Directions in Arab Cinema, Bahrain, 2000
Directors and Directions in Egyptian Cinema, Cairo, 2000
Zouzou Hamdi El-Hakim: A Pioneer of Acting and Enlightenment, Cairo, 2000
Stars and Legends in Egyptian Cinema, Cairo, 2000
Films in the Shadow, Cairo, 2000
Introduction to the History of Arab Cinema, Cairo, 2000
Introduction to the History of Arab Cinema (Italian), Tunis, 2001
Directors and Directions in American Cinema, Damascus, 2001
The History of Film Censorship in Egypt, Cairo, 2002
Shakespeare, The Screen Writer, Cairo, 2002
Cannes Film Festival Guide (1946–2001), Alexandria, 2002
Studies on the History of Egyptian Cinema, Cairo, 2002
Directors and Directions in European Cinema, Damascus, 2003
World Writers and cinema, Cairo, 2003
Venice Film Festival Guide (1932–2003), Alexandria, 2004
Political Issues on Cinema Screen, Damascus, 2004
The Cinema in the European Union Member States (4 Volumes), Cairo, 2004
Cinema and Arts, Cairo, 2005
The New Wave in Egyptian Cinema, Damascus, 2005
See also
Lists of Egyptians
نقاد مصريون
References
External links
Article by Samir Farid
https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/hep-hit-venice-highlight-1117890846/
1943 births
2017 deaths
Egyptian film critics
Writers from Cairo