Egyptian actress & activist Menna Shalaby launches initiative to support female filmmakers

Attending this year’s El Gouna Film Festival was celebrated Egyptian actress & women’s rights activist, Menna Shalaby.

Best-known for her award-winning role in the film ‘Nawara’, the 38-year-old participated in an all-female panel discussion, titled, ‘Women’s Empowerment Through Cinema’, during the fourth edition of the festival.

Shalaby’s fellow panellists included Indian actress Richa Chadha, American-Palestinian filmmaker Najwa Najjar, French-Egyptian writer-director Jihan El Tahri, plus French-Algerian journalist and director, Dorothee Myriam Kellou.

In addition to discussing their forays into the filmmaking industry, the women touched upon the glass ceiling & unequal gender opportunities in the competitive field.