Egyptian actor Omar Hassan Youssef expressed his frustration over the omission of his late father, actor Hassan Youssef, from the promotional video shown during the opening of the Egyptian Actors’ Syndicate Theater Festival, which accompanied a song performed by singer Tamer Hosny.

The video included archival footage of several iconic figures from Egyptian theater and arts who have passed away, but the absence of Hassan Youssef’s name drew the attention of viewers and sparked anger from his son, who considered it a sign of a lack of awareness about the history of Egyptian theater.

Omar Hassan Youssef posted on his official Facebook page: “With all due respect to Tamer Hosny’s song, whoever made the video needs to review the history of Egyptian theater and arts and tell us where Hassan Youssef was in this video.”

He added that omitting his father’s name was not only surprising but also “laughable,” emphasizing that the video’s creators should have verified the historical accuracy before its release.

The late Mohamed Awad

The controversy is not limited to Omar Hassan Youssef. Director Adel Awad, son of the late actor Mohamed Awad, had previously criticized the minimal appearance of his father in the promotional video, despite his extensive career spanning over one hundred works. He described the brief inclusion as unfair to his father’s artistic legacy.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony honored several artists who have been away from the spotlight for years, most notably Diaa Al-Mirghani, whose health condition drew wide attention, as well as actors Abdullah Moshref and Sabry Abdel Monem. The incident reignited discussions about the criteria for selecting honored figures or featuring them in archival materials, with calls for accuracy and fairness in documenting Egyptian theater history to ensure all its icons are recognized without neglect or omission.