The Brink of Dreams, the second feature-length film by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, will compete alongside seven other documentaries screened in the Documentary segment.

The Egyptian production follows the story of an all-female group that formed a theatre troupe to perform plays inspired by Upper Egyptian folklore in their small village, aiming to raise awareness about important issues, like early marriage, domestic violence, and girls' education.

“Challenging the patriarchal norms of their conservative Coptic Christian community, the girls dream of becoming actresses, dancers, and singers,” reads the film’s synopsis.

The film stars Majda Masoud, Haidi Sameh, Monika Youssef, Marina Samir, Myriam Nassar, Lydia Haroun, and Youstina Samir.

Earlier this year, The Brink of Dreams won the Golden Eye Documentary Prize at the 77th Cannes Film Festival where it screened in the Critics Week segment.

The Chicago International Film Festival was founded in 1964, which makes it the longest-running competitive film festival in North America.

This year, the festival showcases more than 120 feature films and 70 short films across all sections. Besides Egyptian entry, they also include productions from Tunisia, Morocco, and Palestine.

All films are screened in six competition segments, including the International Feature Film, New Directors Film, Documentary Film, OutLook Film, Short Film, and City & State Film.

In addition, the festival includes non-competitive segments, such as After Dark Film and Black Perspectives Film.

The festival also hosts various industry-related events, panel discussions, and workshops.