Egyptian actress joins La Dolce Vita at Ca’ Sagredo during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival
VENICE, SEPTEMBER 2026
Caroline Azmy arrives in Venice with a career that reflects the changing face of Egyptian television. Trained in acting and directing at Egypt’s Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts, she began on stage before making her television breakthrough in 2017. The Godfather introduced her to a national audience, while Ramadan Kareem and, above all, her role as Hagar in the hugely popular family drama Abu Al-Arousa established her as one of the recognisable actresses of her generation. Azmy herself has described Hagar as the character closest to her personality, while deliberately choosing later roles that allowed her to move away from the romantic young-woman image audiences associated with her.
That evolution became particularly visible with Haq Arab and Fahd El Batal. For the latter, Azmy took on the emotionally demanding role of Rawya and prepared for two months before filming. In an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm, she explained that she actively avoids repeating successful character types and would rather wait for a role that offers a genuine challenge. The series became another major Ramadan appearance and strengthened a screen career that already spans television, cinema and theatre.
On 11 September, that Egyptian success story moves into a very different setting. Azmy will be among the honoured guests of La Dolce Vita, the Royal Gentlemen Gala Dinner and Congress Awards at Ca’ Sagredo, during the closing days of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. Her presence creates a natural bridge between one of the Arab world’s largest television industries and a week when Venice becomes an international meeting place for cinema, media, culture and creative business.
The evening itself is built around precisely this kind of crossover. Eric Adams, the 110th Mayor of New York City from 2022 to 2025, will join Laurent Anselmi, President of the Monaco Sea Academy and previously Monaco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Chief of Staff to H.S.H. Prince Albert II. Massimiliano Giobergia, General Manager of Cosmetic Tailors, will represent Italy’s beauty industry. Lidia Weber will represent Oliver Weber Collection, the Austrian jewellery house joining the evening as Official Jewellery Partner. Philanthropy and international media will be represented by Alisa Roever, founder of Angels Helpers Foundation, and Al Kash, whose projects span publishing, entertainment, production, talent and luxury events.
Music will give the evening another identity. Soprano Alina Zamalieva, recipient of more than 15 international honours, will bring classical opera to Ca’ Sagredo. Yuri and Ksenia Wheelman will present Wheelman Duo and their Couture Crossover concept, whose artistic roots are connected to the tradition of the Bolshoi Theatre. Rezeda Kalimullina will move the programme toward soul, jazz and pop after 25 years on stage and artistic development that has included mentorship from multiple Grammy-nominated American musician Karen Edwards.
For Azmy, however, Venice represents something broader than another international appearance. Egyptian drama has given her mass recognition at home and across the Arab-speaking world. Venice places that career inside another cultural conversation, alongside European cinema, international media and guests from several industries and countries. It is a different audience and a different room.
Thomas Misse and Marek Harmony of the Royal Gentlemen Club and Anna Stukkert, founder and president of the Congress Awards, will host La Dolce Vita inside Ca’ Sagredo, the historic palace directly on the Grand Canal. The Congress Awards network has organised events in Munich, Berlin, Monaco, Paris, Cannes and Davos since 2016, connecting more than 4,000 participants from 29 countries.
This time, the story is not simply about bringing another celebrity to a gala. Caroline Azmy represents a television culture with an enormous regional audience and a generation of Egyptian actors increasingly visible beyond their domestic market. From her first television breakthrough to Abu Al-Arousa, Haq Arab and the demanding transformation of Fahd El Batal, her career has been built on refusing to remain one character for too long. Venice becomes the next change of scene.
LA DOLCE VITA
11 September 2026
Ca’ Sagredo, Grand Canal, Venice
Arrival from 6.30 pm
Black Tie
Presented by Thomas Misse and Marek Harmony, Royal Gentlemen Club, together with Anna Stukkert, founder and president of Congress Awards.
Official Jewellery Partner Oliver Weber Collection
Event information and reservations
Press info@royalgentlemen.fr