| Intro | Egyptian film director, producer, and screenwriter |
| Is |
Film director Screenwriter |
| From | Egypt |
| Type | Film, TV, Stage & Radio |
| Gender | female |
| Birth |
23 July 1977 |
| Age | 43 years |
| Star sign | Leo |
Hala Khalil (born July 23, 1967) is an Egyptian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Her work includes short films, documentaries, TV series, and feature films. Her films The Kite (1997) and The Best of Times (2004), have received awards from the Arab Film Festival, Rotterdam Arab Camera Festival, and the Rabat Film Festival.
Khalil belongs to the new generation of Egyptian female commercial and independent filmmakers that emerged in the first decade of the 21st century. The films of this period focus on the every day lives of Egyptian women and their identity separation from men, functioning as an important part of feminism in Egypt.
Early life
Khalil was born in Cairo, Egypt. After beginning her post-secondary education in engineering, she switched to the Cairo Film School, where she graduated in 1992 with a degree in filmmaking.
Career
After graduating from the Cairo Film School, Khalil made her debut as a filmmaker and screenwriter with the short film, Puppets, in 1992. Her short film, The Kite (1997), was her first film to gain notable critical recognition. In 2004, she wrote and directed her first feature-length film, The Best of Times, for which she received awards at the Arab Camera Festival, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the Rabat Film Festival, and recognition from the Egyptian Film Critics’ Association.
Khalil also writes film reviews, and directs for the state television company. In addition to being a prominent Arab female short and feature filmmaker, Khalil is an executive producer has worked documentary films, and served on festival juries in Cairo, Ossian, Rotterdam, and Beirut.