Bassem Youssef to host International Emmy Awards

Also, Omar gets regional release date; Alfonso Cuarón to head Venice Film Festival jury; Hero remake ‘better than original’ says Subhash Ghai; and Lisa Ray full of praise for film location.

The Egyptian satirical comedian Bassem Youssef. Khaled Desouki / AFP

Bassem Youssef, the Egyptian satirical comedian, has been chosen to host the 2015 International Emmy Awards Gala in New York in November. He became one of the Arab world's most famous TV personalities as host of the ground­breaking political satire show Al Bernameg (The Show), but cancelled it last year after former army chief Abdel Fattah El Sissi was elected president. Bruce L Paisner, head of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, said that Youssef "has been dubbed the Jon Stewart of the Arab world but in fact his talent has no borders". Youssef said that as the first International Emmys host from the Middle East, he hopes to highlight "the vibrant entertainment industry" in the region. He is currently working as a resident fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics and has appeared several times with Stewart on The Daily Show. – AP

Omar gets regional release date

Two years after it wowed audiences at the Cannes Film Festival, and one Oscar nomination later, the Palestinian drama Omar is getting a Middle East release. Egyptian distributor MAD Solutions says it will be out on May 20 in Egypt and on May 21 in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. The film's director, Hany Abu-Assad, said: "I am extremely happy that finally Omar is getting the chance to be released in the Arab world. This release means a lot to me, as I consider this movie as an homage to the Egyptian thriller. It's a film about love, friendship and trust, against the background of political oppression; themes that we deal with on a daily basis in our lives, especially in this time." – The National staff

Cuarón to head Venice film festival jury

Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón has been chosen to head the jury for the Venice Film Festival's coveted Golden Lion award. The Mexican director will return to the Italian city where Gravity debuted as the opening film two years ago before going on to win Oscars for Best Film, Best Director and Best Film Editing. Festival organisers called Cuarón, 53, "one of the most celebrated directors of his generation", and praised his groundbreaking techniques in the 2006 film Children of Men, which debuted in Venice and was nominated for three Oscars. Gravity received 10 Oscar nominations and made more than US$700 million (Dh2.5 billion) at the box office. The Venice Film Festival runs from September 2 to 12. – AP

Hero remake ‘better than original’

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai says that the remake of his 1983 film Hero will be better than the original. Produced by Salman Khan, the new version is directed by Nikhil Advani and marks the debuts of Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty. "The film is from Nikhil Advani's vision under the supervision of Salman – I am hoping and confident that this remake will be better than my Hero," said Ghai. He added that he would not be contributing to the project. "When Salman asked me about a partnership for the remake of Hero, I said: 'I can give you the rights to that film but the vision will be yours and your director's. Neither will I contribute to it nor will I interfere, because you will make the film as today's vision and if I will interfere in it I will put my old vision.' I have not even seen a single still of the film." The film is due out on July 3. – IANS

Lisa Ray full of praise for film location

Indo-Canadian actress Lisa Ray's upcoming romantic film Ishq Forever will showcase the popular landscapes of Hermanus – a town on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The 43-year-old, who plays a secret agent in the film, directed by Sanjay Dayma, shared her excitement about the location on Twitter: "Hermanus! Renowned for whale watching and cage diving with the Great Whites, it's our next location for #IshqForever." The movie, which has also filmed in Cape Town, is due out in November. – IANS