Theme: “Cinema North & South… Screening Short Films from Egyptian Governorates”

In this segment, we take you on a unique cinematic journey through a diverse selection of independent short films, ranging from narrative to documentary. These films reflect the varied visions and ideas of talented filmmakers from different Egyptian governorates (Aswan, Alexandria, and Cairo).

We are honored to screen the following films in the presence of their creators, followed by an open discussion with the audience.

1. “He’s Dead Now”
Written and Directed by: Tarek El-Sherbiny

Synopsis:
Hazem suffers a psychological shock after his family’s secrets are exposed when his mother decides to reveal his deceased father’s extramarital affairs during the mourning period.

About the Filmmaker:
Tarek El-Sherbiny is an Egyptian filmmaker with a degree in engineering from the German University in Cairo. After graduating, he decided to channel his passion for cinema into making short films, relying on self-learning. His debut narrative short film, He’s Dead Now, premiered in New York at the Lincoln Center as part of the New York African Film Festival. It won the Golden Tower Award for Best Egyptian Film at the Cairo International Short Film Festival and was screened at 30 local and international festivals.

2. “He Thought”
Written and Directed by: Hinar Ryan

Synopsis:
Adapted from Ibrahim Aslan’s Two Rooms and a Hall, the film follows Khalil and his wife, Ihsan, after Khalil’s retirement. Khalil struggles with the symptoms of retirement, while Ihsan endures his constant bad mood, especially since they have no children. Only Ihsan tolerates and understands him, but Khalil fails to realize this in time.

About the Filmmaker:
Hinar Ryan is a filmmaker and producer from Alexandria, Egypt. She holds a degree in media and translation and joined the Jesuit Cultural Center’s film school in 2020, where she directed and produced her first short film as a graduation project. She has worked in film distribution and marketing at MAD Solutions, contributing to projects like Goodbye Julia, The Red Sea Makes Me Cry, The Alley, and Hamza, the Ghost Chases Me. She is currently working on independent projects as a producer and co-founder of Tarsu Films.

3. “Wasted Time”
Written and Directed by: Mahmoud Ramadan

Synopsis:
A journey through the history of two different yet strangely connected families, searching for answers that only lead to more questions.

About the Filmmaker:
Mahmoud Ramadan is an independent director and producer from Aswan. He founded Aswan’s first cinema club in 2017 and worked as a writer and content creator about cinema for several years. He graduated from the Jesuit School of Documentary Cinema in Upper Egypt. His film Wasted Time was screened at the Ismailia International Film Festival in 2023. His first narrative film, The Other Side, received a production grant from the Jesuit School and the Drosos Foundation and was selected for the Ismailia International Film Festival in 2025. His debut production project, The Messenger of Love, received a production grant from the Menassat Festival and Red Star Company.

4. “Private Call”
Written and Directed by: Mariam Nasser

Synopsis:
A late-night call from an unknown number disturbs Gamal’s sleep, revealing secrets about his home that he never knew. A stranger knows the secrets of his house, forcing Gamal to make a life-changing decision.

About the Filmmaker:
Mariam Nasser is a filmmaker studying film directing at the High Institute of Cinema in Alexandria. She is passionate about various stages of filmmaking, including screenwriting, directing, producing, and editing. Private Call is her first narrative short film, premiering at the 10th Alexandria Short Film Festival in 2024. She is currently distributing her short documentary Transparent Short and working on her second narrative short film, Lemon Tree, which received a production grant from the CineGouna Platform at the El Gouna Film Festival in 2024.

5. “The Last Supper”
Written and Directed by: Mohamed Gaber

Synopsis:
After losing his father, Gamal feels as though time has stopped. He wonders what would happen if he fulfilled his duty toward his father and invites him to the cinema and dinner.

About the Filmmaker:
Mohamed Gaber is an Alexandrian director who studied in free workshops, including the Filmmakers Workshop with director Amr Badr and the Introduction to Cinematic Language Workshop with director Islam Kamal. He made his first film, Before the Curtain Rises, in 2017, produced by Alexandria Films, and his second film, The Last Supper, in 2019. His films have been screened at festivals such as the Sous and Chnit International Festivals, the Cairo International Short Film Festival, and the Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival.

6. “In These Dire Times”
Written and Directed by: Mohamed Sherif

Synopsis:
As the inevitable end approaches, Ashraf spends his final moments much like before. He goes about life, spends time with his remaining friends, and talks about life, themselves, and the impending apocalypse. Obsessed with the looming doom, Ashraf begins to blame himself for the event, haunted by dreams and visions of a comet floating in the sky. Convinced he is responsible for the end of the world, Ashraf makes a difficult decision. Whether it’s the right or wrong choice, and whether it’s too late, we may never know.

About the Filmmaker:
Mohamed Sherif Boushnak is an Egyptian director and producer. Boushnak looks at his surroundings and exposes himself to different cultures and ideologies to produce works of a hybrid nature, combining internal and external perspectives. His filmography explores personal yet universal themes like loss, alienation, and societal collapse. Through his films, Boushnak aims to represent his generation and showcase their struggles and dreams.

Boushnak has produced several short films, including Thirteen Twenty-Five by Basant El-Gerwany, which won the Golden Hypatia Award at the Alexandria International Short Film Festival, and The German Car by Omar Ali, which won the Audience Award at the Ismailia International Short Film Festival. He wrote and directed In These Dire Times, which was screened at the Ismailia International Film Festival and the Africa in Motion Festival in the UK.

Boushnak is currently an assistant lecturer at the German University in Cairo’s Media Design department and is pursuing a master’s degree in film and interactive design.

The screening will be followed by an open discussion with the audience, moderated by Ms. Hind Bakr.

About the Moderator:
Hind Bakr is a director and producer who studied filmmaking at the Jesuit Cinema School in Alexandria in 2010. She participated in the Mediterranean Biennale for Young Artists in Rome in 2011 with her project Halima, a visual work exploring the relationship between film and literature. She wrote, directed, and produced her first feature film, The Rat Room, in collaboration with five other directors, which was screened in the official competition of the Dubai International Film Festival in 2013 and other festivals. She co-founded Rouvez, a company dedicated to supporting film production. Hind directed and produced her documentary feature Mim’s Boring Tour in 2023 and founded Desi, a film production company, in 2024.

Admission is open to the public without prior registration or reservation.

AI generated translation.