Shalaby is the first Egyptian and Arab to receive an Emmy Award nomination.
The Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival has announced that Egyptian actress Menna Shalaby will be honoured with an award at the festival’s 40th edition, taking place from October 1 to 5 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Held annually in Alexandria, the festival is organised under the patronage of Dr Ahmed Fouad Henein, Minister of Culture and Major General Ahmed Khaled Hassan Said, Governor of Alexandria, according to a report by Scene Now.
Menna Shalaby has made a significant impact in both cinema and television, notably starring in the series Every Week Has a Friday, which earned her an International Emmy nomination, making her the first Egyptian to achieve this honour.
Shalaby began her acting career in 2001 with a prominent role in the TV drama Hadeeth Al Sabah Wal Masaa (Morning and Evening Talk), which led to numerous starring roles in films and TV series. Her film debut was in The Magician (2001), alongside Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, followed by successful films such as The Best of Times (2004), Girls of Downtown (2005), Wega (2005), and About Love and Passion (2006).
In addition to her acting career, Shalaby has served on juries for prestigious film festivals, including the Cairo International Film Festival, Carthage Film Festival, Malmö Arab Film Festival and El Gouna Film Festival.
Shalaby has received numerous accolades at both local and international festivals, including the Faten Hamama Excellence Award from the Cairo International Film Festival. She has been recognised as Best Actress at the Egyptian National Film Festival for her roles in El Saher (2001) and An El Eshq Wel Hawaa (2006), and at the Arabian Cinema Awards and the Arab Star Festival for her role in Diamond Dust (2018). Other awards include honors from the Dubai, Tetouan, Oran, and Cairo Film Society festivals for Nawara (2015), and the Egyptian Catholic Center Cinema Festival for Banat West El Balad (2005), among others.
Shalaby has also been named Best Actress by audience polls conducted by Arab and Egyptian media outlets and was honoured by the Tetouan International Mediterranean Film Festival in Morocco and the Aswan International Women Film Festival in 2019 for her remarkable contributions to cinema in Egypt and the Arab world.
