This prominence showcased Egyptian cinema's talent and creativity on a global level and highlighted its storytelling's cultural richness and diversity.

From thought-provoking narratives to visually captivating cinematography, these Egyptian films — mostly produced in 2024 — captivated audiences worldwide and solidified the country's position as a powerhouse in international cinema.

Hajjan (directed by Abu Bakr Shawky)

Hajjan premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (2023) and garnered recognition in 2024. 

Hajjan is both an adventure story and a moving account of the deep bond that can develop between humans and animals.

Matar is the youngest child in a Saudi family of camel jockeys. When his brother falls during a race and is killed, Matar embarks on a journey across the desert in search of freedom and a better life.

The Saudi-Egyptian film stars Abdulmohsen Alnemr, Omar Alatawi, Ibrahim Al-Hasawi, and Alshaimaa Tayeb, among others.

This year, Hajjan opened the 24th edition of the Rotterdam Arab Film Festival and won triple awards at the Gulf Cinema Festival.

The Egyptian director’s first feature film, Yomeddine (Judgement Day, 2018), premiered in the Official Selection of the 71st Cannes Film Festival and competed for the Palme d’Or and a Golden Camera.

The Brink of Dreams (Nada Riyadh and Ayman El-Amir)

The film's plot revolves around an all-female, all-Coptic theatre troupe that challenges their traditional backgrounds, forming a theatre to perform plays inspired by Upper Egyptian folklore in their small village.

They aimed to raise awareness about important issues like early marriage, domestic violence, and girls' education.

The film stars Haidi Sameh, Monika Youssef, and Majda Masoud. 

Directed by the married couple Riyadh and El-Amir, the film won the Golden Eye Documentary Prize at the 77th Cannes Film Festival's Critics Week and was nominated for the Critics' Week Grand Prize.

The Brink of Dreams had its MENA premiere in the El-Gouna Film Festival’s seventh edition, in addition to competing in the 60th edition of the Chicago International Film Festival. 

East of Noon (Hala Elkoussy)

The plot explores the political potential of poetic cinema. It follows the story of an aspiring musician, Abdo, who, together with his partner Nunna, dreams of a new life beyond their shared home city. 

East of Noon stars Ahmed Kamal, Menha Batraoui, and Omar Rozek.

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Director’s Fortnight segment.

Then, it screened at almost 10 other festivals, including the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Brazil Arab Film Festival, and Films Femmes Méditerranée (FFM) in Marseille.

East of Noon will open the Critics' Week at the 75th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).

This is the second feature film written and directed by Elkoussy after Cactus Flower (2017).

Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo (Khaled Mansour)

The film follows the story of Hassan and his dog, Rambo. The latter bites Hassan's neighbour, Karem, who then seeks revenge. Escaping Karem, Hassan embarks on a journey with Rambo, only to find himself on a road to self-discovery. 

Co-written by Mansour and Mohamed El-Hosseiny, the film stars Essam Omar (in his first cinematic experience), Rakin Saad, Sama Ibrahim, and Ahmed Bahaa, the co-founder of the Sharmoofers band, in his debut acting role.

The film had its world premiere earlier this year at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, making it the first Egyptian film to participate in Venice's official lineup since 2012.

Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo competed in the Feature Film Competition segment at the Red Sea International Film Festival, where it had its MENA premiere. It also competed for the Tanit d’Or at the Carthage Film Festival and received a special mention. 

It is Mansour’s debut feature film after directing several short films screened in international and regional festivals.

The Tale of Daye’s Family (Karim El-Shenawy)

The film follows the story of an 11-year-old albino Nubian boy who dreams of travelling from south to north Egypt on a magical journey to pursue his dream of becoming a singer.

Dayy, written by Haitham Dabbour, stars Saudi actress Aseel Omran, who marked her debut in Egyptian cinema, Sudanese actress Islam Mubarak, and Egyptian actors Haneen Said and Badr Mohamed.

The Tale of Daye’s Family premiered as the opening film of the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (IFF). It will also compete at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.

El-Shenawy and Dabbour worked together in 2013 on the short film Odd, starring Khaled El-Nabawi.

Moreover, El-Shenawy directed the film Gunshot (2018) starring Egyptian actor Ahmed El-Fishawi, as well as TV series such as Qabeel (2019), Take Care of Zizi (2021), and Seventh Year Itch (2023), which all star Egyptian actress Amina Khalil.

The Inevitable Journey to Find a Wedding Dress (Jaylan Auf)

The film tells the story of a bride named Warda (Yasmin Raeis) who searches for a white dress on her wedding eve, which becomes a journey of self-discovery, challenging her relationship with herself.

The wedding dress becomes the central motif in a social drama about life in a modern, rapidly changing city.

The film stars Asmaa Galal, Yasmin Raeis, Salwa Mohamed Ali, and Ahmed Khaled Saleh. 

It premiered at the seventh edition of the El Gouna Film Festival and was then screened at the Red Sea International Film Festival.

It is the first feature-length film written and directed by Jaylan Auf, who is known for the short films My Festival (2017) and Turning Ten (2018).

Abdo and Saneya (Omar Bakry)

The film combines old-style filmmaking with modern-day gritty cinema to tell the story of an immigrant Egyptian peasant couple who arrive in New York hoping to find a cure for their infertility.

Abdo and Saneya, co-produced between Egypt and the USA, is a black-and-white silent film.

The film had its world premiere at the Red Sea IFF.

It was written and directed by Bakry and stars the protagonist Abdo alongside Inji El-Gammal, who plays the character of Saneya. 

Bakry, a painter, filmmaker, and playwright, was born in Sweden and raised in Egypt.

El-Gammal starred beside Bakry in his 2014 film His Man, which he wrote and directed.

The cast of Abdo and Saneya also includes Haythem Noor as Leo, Kathleen Regan, Clara Francesca, and Guy LeMonnier.

Flight 404 (Hani Khalifa)

Flight 404 follows the story of an Egyptian woman, Ghada (Mona Zaki), who encounters an urgent situation demanding a significant amount of money just days before her Hajj, a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Forced to seek help, she must reconnect with people from her past.

Written by Mohamed Ragaa, the film stars Mona Zaki, Mohamed Farag, Mohamed Mamdouh, Shereen Reda, Khaled El-Sawy, Mohamed Alaa, Hassan Al-Adl, Sama Ibrahim, Shadi Alfons, Rana Raies, Gihan El-Shamashergy, and Arfa Abdel-Rassoul.

Flight 404 is Egypt’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.

In addition to garnering several awards in local festivals, Flight 404 was the opening film of the third Hollywood Arab Film Festival. It was also screened out of competition at the 24th Rotterdam Arab Film Festival.

Perfumed with Mint (Mohamed Hamdy)

A 30-year-old doctor encounters his old friend Mahdy, who is experiencing a bizarre condition where mint plants sprout from his body.

The film stars Alaa El-Din Hamada, Mahdy Abo Bahat, and Abdo Zin El-Din.

Perfumed with Mint had its North American premiere at the 49th edition of the Toronto Film Festival.

The film was nominated for the Best Film Award at the Venice Film Festival Critics Week and the Best Feature Film Award at the Marrakech International Film Festival.

Written and directed by Hamdy, Perfumed with Mint is his feature directorial debut.

Hamdy is an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer. He shot and co-produced the Academy Award-nominated feature-length documentary The Square (2013).

He also shot Greg Barker’s We Are the Giant (2014), Gini Reticker’s The Trials of Spring (2015), and Petra Costa and Lea Glob’s Olmo and the Seagull (2015).

Drama 1882 (Wael Shawky)

Drama 1882 is a filmed rendition of an original musical play of the same name.

Directed, choreographed, and carrying music by Shawky, the theatre work's plot is set between 1879 and 1882 around Egypt’s nationalist Urabi revolution.

In eight chapters, sung entirely in classical Arabic, the work explores themes of colonialism and resistance and fuses narrative and dramatic components against the backdrop of history.

Drama 1882 premiered at the 60th International Venice Art Biennale 2024 and was screened at the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Shawky, born in Alexandria, is a multidisciplinary artist involved in film, theatre, painting, drawing, and sculpture.

His interests often draw from historical tradition reimagined to fit contemporary culture.

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My Father’s Scent (Mohamed Siam)

The story follows a man who visits his sick father after a long absence and navigates the dysfunctions and secrets in their relationship. 

Taking place during the Eid Al-Adha festival, the film contrasts cultural practices and lavish displays of celebration with familial themes of childhood neglect, parental worry, and the melancholy of old age.

The film stars Ahmed Malek, Kamal El-Basha, and Mayan El-Sayed.

My Father’s Scent received five awards after screening at the Venice Film Festival's Final Cut 2024.

Siam is a fiction and documentary filmmaker and a cinematographer. He is known for his award-winning films Whose Country? (2016) and Amal (2017).

He also contributed to the cinematography of Diaries From Lebanon (2024), which premiered at the Berlinale 2024.

Aisha Can’t Fly Away (Morad Mostafa)

A 26-year-old Somali woman, Aisha, lives and works in a Cairo neighbourhood with a large African migrant community.

The authorities’ indifference to the violent tensions between Egyptians and various African nationalities has allowed different gangs to seize control of the neighbourhood.

The situation quickly turns sour after one offers Aisha security in exchange for a favour. 

The film stars Emad Ghoneim, Mamdouh Saleh, and Buliana Simona.

It received several awards at Venice Film Festival's Final Cut 2024, including the Best Film in post-production.

The award-winning director worked in several independent films and collaborated as an executive director in Souad (2020), in the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival.

Morad’s latest short film I Promise You Paradise (2023) was competing in Cannes Film Festival Critics Week.