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Mohamed El-Zayat's feature "Ellshabab Khater Jalila" has been selected for premiere in the Bright Future section of the 56th Rotterdam International Film Festival, running 28 January to 7 February 2027, marking the Egyptian production's international debut and signaling strong momentum for local cinema ahead of major festival seasons.
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"Ellshabab Khater Jalila" directed by Mohamed El-Zayat — The film, set in 1990s Egypt, follows a young man attempting to fulfill his blind grandmother's lifelong dream of performing the Hajj pilgrimage. The ensemble cast includes Taha Desouky, Jihane El-Shammashirgi and Sousan Badr, blending absurdist drama, surrealism and comedy to explore themes of love, faith and deception.Cairo International Film Festival 47th edition opens with "I Play Rocky" — The festival, running 11-20 November 2026 under the presidency of Hussein Fahmy, will inaugurate with director Peter Farrelly's American feature "I Play Rocky," marking a symbolic pairing of two 1976-born legacies: the original Rocky Balboa story and the birth of Cairo's own international film festival fifty years prior.Essam Zakaria appointed president of Ismailia International Documentary and Short Film Festival — The film critic and researcher, known for decades of cinema journalism and scholarship, will lead the 27th edition of the festival, which showcases documentary, narrative short and animation works under the National Cinema Center of Egypt's oversight.Port Said International Film Festival names second edition after Salah Dhul-Fiqar — The festival's second iteration, running 1-5 December 2026 under the theme "Cinema Revives Hope," honors the late filmmaker and producer on the centenary of his birth, celebrating his legacy in Egyptian cinema history.Asma Galal to lead "Miss Hana" miniseries for Ramadan 2027 — The actress will make her full-lead television drama debut in the series, written by Iyad Saleh and produced by Tarek El-Ganainy, co-starring Asma Ibrahim; production begins in three weeks.Ahmed Zaaim renews collaboration with Ahmed Saad on "Wallah Zaman" — The composer and vocalist released the track with Ahmed Saad following the success of their 2024 collaboration "Ya Araf" featuring Tunisian artist Noureddine; the new single, penned by poet Amir Taama with orchestration by Nader Hamdy, draws on classical Arabic instrumentation.Coming Up:
Asma Galal continues filming "El-Feel Aal-Darfeel," a comedy opposite Ahmed Fahmy directed by Karim Saad, with script by Sherif El-Lethy; Composer Ahmed Zaaim has a forthcoming dramatic romantic collaboration with vocalist Elissa for her new album.