Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy joins International Emmy Awards jury

He will be among a judging panel of more than 1,000 television experts from around the world

Mohamed Hefzy will take part in three rounds of judging before winners of the International Emmy Awards are revealed in November. Photo: Nada El Sawy / The National

Mohamed Hefzy has been selected as a member of the jury for the 50th International Emmy Awards.

The Egyptian producer, behind award-winning films such as Mohamed Diab's Clash, AB Shawky's Yomeddine and Ayten Amin's Souad, will be among a judging panel of more than 1,000 television experts from around the world.

Jurors will take part in three rounds of judging before the winners of the winged statuettes are revealed in a ceremony in New York on November 21. Nominees will be announced this month.

The International Emmy Awards event is distinct from other Emmy celebrations in that it is dedicated to television programmes produced and originally broadcast outside of the US. It also has a category honouring non-English-language US primetime shows.

The event, launched in 1973, is organised by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

This is not the first time Hefzy has joined the jury of a prestigious awards.

Producer Mohamed Hefzy with director Mohamed Diab, right and Diab's wife, Sarah Gohar, at the Venice International Film Festival last year. Getty Images

He was part of the judging panel of the 75th Venice International Film Festival and took part in this year’s Sundance Film Festival, judging the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

Hefzy was also the former president of the Cairo International Film Festival, overseeing the event across four consecutive years. He was also awarded the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government last year, along with Tunisian actress and producer Hend Sabri.

Hefzy is known for his production company Film Clinic, which he launched in 2005. The company has produced a host of art house titles that have participated in major film festivals including Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin and Tribeca. Film Clinic has also produced several commercial titles and was behind the Arabic adaptation of Perfect Strangers, starring Nadine Labaki and Mona Zaki.

He also founded Film Clinic Indie Distribution with the aim of creating more opportunities for independent Arab filmmakers, as well as Meem Creative Circle, which was behind Paranormal, Netflix’s first Egyptian Original series.

Hefzy was awarded the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year prize by The Hollywood Reporter and the Arab Cinema Centre. He is also an official member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences.

Scroll through the gallery for stills from Netflix series 'Paranormal':

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  Ahmed Amin as Dr Refaat Ismail in a scene from 'Paranormal'. All photos: Netflix

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  Set in the 1960s, the show centres on haematologist Refaat Ismail (Ahmed Amin), who tries to uncover the truth behind a series of supernatural events.

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  Razane Jammal plays Maggie Mckillop in 'Paranormal'.

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  Ahmed Amin and Razane Jammal in a scene from 'Paranormal'.