V’s Secret
سر ڤيكتوريا
Adam drops his wife’s G-string onto his not so friendly neighbor’s (Bassem) balcony below while hanging wet clothes on the railing. Adam thinks of several attempts to retrieve the G-string without Bassem knowing. This escalates to a serious conflict.
- Genre: Dark comedy
- Runtime: 12 minutes 43 seconds
- Production Year: 2024
- World premiere: 45th Durban International Film Festival July 2024.
- Festivals:
- 30th International Festival Of Local Television Golden Beggar (won jury award: best screenplay)
- 78th Salerno International Film Festival, Italy
- 14th Luxor African Film Festival
- 17th Short To The Point International Film Festival, Romania
- 29th Fespaco, Burkina Faso
- 8th Nepal International Film Festival
- 1st round Grifo Film Festival in Italy (won the best soundtrack award)
- 18th Arab Film Festival at Arab American National Museum in Michigan, USA
- 17th Short to The Point Film Festival in Romania
- 14th Cambodia International Film Festival
- 1st Hollywood African Cinema Connection Festival in Cape Town (Won Founder Weam Williams award)
- Digital Gate International Film festival (won best photography award to DOP Antonious Bassily)
- 4th Hollywood Arab Film Festival in the USA (Won the Jury Honorable Mention Award).
- 9th Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival in Canada
- 9th Manassat Film Festival in Egypt
- Tiro International Film Festival in Beirut, Lebanon
- Trame Independent Film Festival in Tuscany, Italy.
- Quibdo International Film Festival in Columbia
- Bantu International Film Festival in Botswana
- Helsinki Arab Film Festival in Finland
- Madagascourt International Film Festival in Madagascar
- Pvri Kadar-International Film Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Afaq film Festival in Berlin
- International Short Film Festival Vision, Kemerovo, Russia
- Zambia Short film Festival
- Heron Bay Film Festival, Canada
- Djarfogo International Film Festival, Cape Verde
- Cyprus International Film Festival
- Lancilotto al Cinema Film Festival, Italy
- All African Independent Film Festival, Rwanda
- Festival Internacional de Cinema de Comedia de Begur, Spain
- Reel to Reality Film Festival, SA
- Starling Film Festival, UK
- Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival, Egypt
- Bantu Film Festival, Botswana
- Boulevard Sunset Festival, USA
- Fame Shorts Film Festival, Cape Town, SA
- Montevideo World Film Festival, Argentina
- Cine Del Mar, Uruguay
- Malabo International Music and Film Festival, Equatorial Guinea
- Long Island International Film Expo, USA
- Social World Film Festival, Italy
- Greece International Film Festival (Semi Finalist)
- Ferrara Film Festival (Finalist), Italy
- NanoCon International Film Festival (Nominee), USA
- Genesis International Film Festival (Quarter Finalist), Moscow
- 12th Kinshasa International Film Festival, Congo
Awards and Nominations:
Best Screenplay Jury Award – International Festival of Local Television Golden Beggar in Slovakia
Best Soundtrack Award – Grifo Film Festival in Italy
Best Photography Award to DOP Antonious Bassily – Digital Gate International Film Festival
Jury Award Honorable Mention – Hollywood Arab Film Festival
Founder Weam Williams Award – Hollywood African Cinema Connection
Best Student Film – Fame Shorts film Festival in Cape Town, SA
Best Student Film – The All African Independent Film Festival in Rwanda.
Audience Award for Best Student Film – Manassat Film Festival in Egypt.
Nomination: best actor – Maher Ghandour in Long Island International Film Expo, USA
Nomination: Best International Sound – Bantu Film Festival
Written & Directed By
Bassma Farah Nancy
Director’s Biography:
I am a multi-talented individual, having graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University with a bachelor’s degree in Art Direction for film and theater. My diverse skill set includes freelance work as a filmmaker, video creator, photographer, storyboard artist, painter, singer, composer, and guitar player, with more talents to be explored. Alongside my practical experience, I have participated in acting workshops and performed in numerous plays at community theaters, including a musical production. Additionally, I am currently working as an acting instructor for teenagers at a music academy center, sharing my passion and knowledge with the next generation of performers. I graduated from Jesuit Cairo Film School in 2022, where I further developed my expertise in filmmaking.
Director’s Statement:
During the Covid-19 quarantine, mundane tasks like hanging laundry spurred my contemplation. The scenario of a g-string landing on a conservative and unfriendly neighbor’s balcony struck me as a potential embarrassment. This sparked questions about societal norms: Why would a feminine undergarment evoke such discomfort compared to a boxer? This curiosity led to the creation of a film centered on two male characters reacting to a feminine object. Exploring the ambivalence surrounding femininity has long intrigued me, especially given societal perceptions and male dominance. Influenced by Nawal Al Saadawi’s writings, my short film delves into the male obsession with feminine elements, impacting both men and women.
Produced by: Jesuit Cairo Culture Center
Mentor: Dr. Marwa Abdalla Elsayed
Script Consultant: Mohamed Elmasry
Cast:
Maher Ghandour
Ahmad El Banhawy
Amir Fahim
Hossam Bayoumi
Director of Photography: Antonious Bassily
1st Assistant Director: Fady Farid Shawky
2nd AD: Mina Meshrqy
Script Person: Salma Saad
Art Director: Yasmine El Husseiny
Truckage: Ahmed Orabi
Sound recordist: Sameh Nabil
Gaffer: Ahmed
Production Manager: Amir Fahim
Producers: Antonious Bassily, Bassma Farah.
Executive Producer/Catering: NFarah Samy
Location: Azzat Halim
Editing: Bassma Farah.
Coloring: Peter Samir.
Sound Mixing/Music Composition: Mark Iskander
Distributor: Magic Eye
Special Thanks:
Micheal Yousef Shafek
Nadine Salib
Karim Farah
Tereza
Christina M. Lancing
Lobna Abubakr
magic eye 