Both films garnered multiple nominations, underscoring Egypt's growing prominence in the Arab cinema landscape.
Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo
Directed by Khaled Mansour in his feature debut, Seeking Haven For Mr. Rambo is a poignant drama that delves into themes of guilt, redemption, and the human-animal bond.
The film has been nominated for Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Essam Omar), Best Actress (Rakeen Saad), and Best Editing (Yasser Azmy).
The film, which premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, tells the poignant story of Hassan, a man who embarks on a journey to protect his beloved dog from a threatening landlord. The narrative, inspired by a real-life incident, explores themes of loyalty and societal challenges.
It also features Sama Ibrahim and Ahmed Bahaa, co-founder of music group Sharmoofers, in his debut acting role
Seeking Haven For Mr. Rambo has already made waves at international festivals, including the Red Sea International Film Festival, where it received the Yusr Award from the jury chaired by director Spike Lee. The screenplay was co-written by Mansour and Mohamed El-Hosseiny.
Voy! Voy! Voy!
Voy! Voy! Voy!, directed by Omar Hilal, is a satirical dramedy that follows Hassan, a security guard who feigns visual impairment to join a blind football team aiming for a European World Cup.
The film has earned nominations for Best Actor (Mohamed Farrag) and Best Editing (Ahmed Hafez).
Farrag's performance as Hassan has been lauded for its depth and authenticity.
The film has previously won the Jury Award and Audience Award at the Split Mediterranean Film Festival and was named Best Egyptian Film of 2023 by the Egyptian Film Critics Association.
He crosses paths with several characters: an attractive young journalist who is interested in covering the team; and a middle-aged coach looking for an opportunity to thrive.
Voy! Voy! Voy! stars Farrag, Bayoumi Fouad, Nelly Karim, Taha Desouki, Amgad El-Haggar, Hanan Youssef, Mohamed Abdel-Azim, Hagag Abdel-Azim with a special appearance by Passant Shawky.
The film was nominated to the Oscar's Foreign Language Film Award.
Cannes Critics Awards for Arab Films
Established by the Arab Cinema Center, the Critics Awards for Arab Films aims to recognize and celebrate the best in Arab cinema.
Nominations are determined by a panel of esteemed film critics worldwide.
The 2025 edition highlights the growing influence of Egyptian filmmakers on the international stage.
In addition to these nominations, Egypt is represented at Cannes with Aisha Can't Fly Away Anymore by Morad Mostafa in the Un Certain Regard section and the documentary Life After Siham by Namir Abdel-Messeeh in the Association du cinéma indépendant pour sa diffusion (ACID) section.
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