Nadine Mustafa Director Khaled Mansour wraps the shooting of his debut feature film Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo, starring the rising actor Essam Omar marking his debut as a film headliner, alongside Rakin Saad and Ahmed Bahaa (co-founder of the musical group Sharmoofers), and several other young talents and guest stars.
This film marks Mansour’s first venture into feature-length narrative cinema after directing several short films that showcased at various international and regional festivals. The screenplay, co-written by Mansour and screenwriter Mohamed El-Hosseiny, revolves around Hassan, a thirty-something who, alongside his dog and only friend Rambo, becomes embroiled in a serious incident unjustly, leading him to be pursued by his neighbor Karim. This prompts Hassan to search for a safe way to save himself and Rambo from an uncertain fate.
The film’s screenplay participated in development labs and funding initiatives, including the French Film Development Program (La Fabrique Cinéma program) organized by the French Institute, as part of the Cannes Film Festival market activities, and the Beirut Cinema Platform for film development and support. It also took part in the Film Development Workshop organized by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, and the (Dot.on.the.map) program as part of the Cyprus Film Days Festival, and the Cinematic Films Development Workshop in Egypt.
The screenplay was also featured in various film markets, including the Malmö Arab Film Festival Market in Sweden and the Durban International Film Festival Market in South Africa in 2020.
The film’s screenplay received development grants, including a grant from the Arab Fund for Culture and Arts Afac for Long Narrative Film Development, and two development grants from the El Gouna Film Platform in 2020. The film also secured production grants, such as the Red Sea Film Foundation production grant for film support, the Arab Fund for Culture and Arts Afac Long Narrative Film Production Grant in 2022, and recently, the Cinematic Production Grant from the International Francophone Organization.
Produced by renowned producer and screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy through Film Clinic and Rasha Hosny, who is venturing into film production alongside her successful career in film criticism and programming at various international film festivals.Handling the film’s worldwide distribution is Film Clinic Indie Distribution and it’s expected to be released by summer of 2024.
