Dozens of mourners including public officials attended the funeral prayers in Heliopolis for renowned film critic Ali Abu Shady, who passed away on Friday at the age of 72 after a long struggle with illness.

Abu Shady was born in 1946 in Shebin El-Kom, Menoufiya governorate.

He earned his bachelor's degree from Ain Shams University in 1966, and joined the Egyptian Film Critics Association in 1972.

Abu Shady held a number of posts in the Ministry of Culture, including the chief of the department of censorship of artistic works.

He was the editor in chief of ‘Cinema’ and ‘New Culture’ magazines, and authored numerous articles for several publications in Egypt and the Arab world.

Abu Shady served as a juror in the panel of judges in Arab and Egyptian film festivals, as well as in a panel of judges for the International Confederation for Critics.

He produced several TV programmes on cinema, including the two prominent shows The Memory of Cinema and The Cinema Doesn't Lie.

Abu Shady also translated a number of studies and articles on the art of cinema, with some of his own studies and research work translated to English and French.

He transcribed more than 20 books, including ‘The Magic of Cinema’, ‘The Classics of Egyptian Cinema’, and ‘The Cinema and Politics.’

A memorial service will take place on Monday for Abu Shady in Mohandessin.

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