Egyptian film Exterior/Night (Leil Karegi) started screening in Cairo’s commercial cinemas on 19 December.

Exterior Night is written by Sherif El-Alfy, produced by Hala Lotfy, and directed by Ahmad Abdalla; starring Karim Kassem, Mona Hala, Sherif Dessouky, Basma, and Ahmed Malek.

The film debuted in Egypt last November at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), where Sherif Dessouky won the prize for Best Actor.

It had its international premiere at the Toronto Film festival, and was then screened at the Stockholm Film Festival and the Marrakech Film Festival.

The film follows three individuals who break social norms and test the boundaries on an extraordinary night.

Each character is fighting their own battle, leading to an unexpected journey in the streets of Cairo.

CIFF’s president, film producer Mohamed Hefzy, has said that the film is “a unique and distinguished film, not only because of its subject and its characters' journey, but also because of its social resonance, which invokes plenty of thought,” according to CIFF’s press release.

Abdalla's previous films Microphone (2010) and Heliopolis (2009) won Best Arabic Film and a Special Mention, respectively, at the Cairo Film Festival.

Microphone also earned him the Tanit d'Or at the Carthage film festival, a special jury mention at the Granada Film Festival Cines del Sur, and the Golden Tulip at the Istanbul Film Festival, and was nominated for many others.

His 2013 film Farsh wa Ghata won the Golden Antigone award at the Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival.

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