About
Asem Ali
Production Designer, Cairo, Egypt
Asem Ali designs the worlds that commercials, films and television series live in. He builds spaces for the camera, rooms that hold a story before anyone says a word.
Story
Asem trained at the High Cinema Institute in Cairo, where he worked as an assistant art director while still a student. Soon after, he set out on his own as a production designer.
His commercial work brought him alongside directors such as Ali Ali and Maged Nasser, on campaigns that went on to win at Dubai Lynx, Cannes Lions, ADFEST and D&AD.
In film, he designed Nadine Khan's "Harag we Marag" (Chaos & Disorder, 2014), which won the Special Jury Prize at the Dubai International Film Festival. He then designed Ahmad Abdalla's "Decor" (2016), which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, and reunited with Abdalla for "Leil/Khargi" (Exterior/Night, 2019), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
For television, he has worked with directors including Mariam Abou Ouf, Hossam Ali, Nadine Khan, Heba Yousry, Ayten Amin and Ahmed El Gendy.
AwardsCampaigns designed
Dubai Lynx
Cannes Lions
ADFEST
D&AD
Selected Film
- 2019Leil/Khargi (Exterior/Night)Ahmad AbdallaWorld premiere, Toronto International Film Festival; also Cairo, Stockholm, Marrakech, Malmö Arab and Luxor African film festivals
- 2016DecorAhmad AbdallaWorld premiere, BFI London Film Festival; also CIFF, Carthage (JCC), Palm Springs
- 2014Harag we Marag (Chaos & Disorder)Nadine KhanSpecial Jury Prize, Dubai International Film Festival
Selected Television
- 2020Leh La'? (Why Not?)Mariam Abou Ouf
- 2019El Anesa Farah (Miss Farah)Ahmed El GendyArabic adaptation of "Jane the Virgin"
- 201730 Youm (30 Days)
- 2017Sabea' Gar (Seventh Neighbor)
- 2014Embratoreyt Meen? (Whose Empire?)
Brands
- Orange
- Coca-Cola
- Vodafone
- Etisalat
- WE
- Juhayna
- Molto
- Danette
- Pepsi
- The American University in Cairo
- Nescafé
- Samsung
- Pizza Hut
- City Edge