El Gouna, Egypt – October 22, 2025

El Gouna Film Festival is pleased to announce a third screening of the Egyptian film Happy Birthday by director Sarah Goher, taking place today, October 22, at 9:00 PM in the Audimax Hall. This additional screening comes in response to the remarkable audience turnout during the film’s first two showings and reflects the festival’s commitment to giving more viewers the chance to experience this outstanding work, which has secured a prominent place in this year’s Egyptian and Arab cinematic landscape.

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, New York, where it achieved significant success and won three major awards — Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay — before being officially selected to represent Egypt in the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category. This achievement marks a milestone for contemporary Egyptian cinema and a celebration of the return of its human and social voice to international platforms.

Happy Birthday was screened as the opening film of the current edition of El Gouna Film Festival, under the “Official Selections Out of Competition” section, and received a warm audience reception. The premiere was attended by most of the film’s creators, including director Sara Gohar, filmmaker and writer Mohamed Diab, and members of the cast — marking its first screening in the Middle East and Africa. It was a collective celebration of the new wave of Egyptian cinema, which blends deep human sensitivity with artistic vision.

The film tells the story of Touha, a young girl working as a maid in the home of a wealthy Cairo family. Her harsh daily life becomes intertwined with the birthday celebration of the homeowner’s daughter, in a poignant intersection of innocence and pain, childhood dreams and harsh social realities. Through the child’s eyes, the film paints a moving portrait of a society where class divisions coexist amid striking contrasts.

The cast includes Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie, Hanan Youssef, and child actors Doha Ramadan and Khadija Ahmed. The film was written by Sara Gohar and Mohamed Diab, and directed by Sara Gohar in her first feature-length film. Happy Birthday has established itself as one of the year’s standout Egyptian productions, not only for its artistic sincerity but also for its strong social awareness.

Sara Gohar is also one of the key participants in the CineGouna Stars Rising Program, further cementing her position as one of the most promising new voices in contemporary Arab cinema.

This third screening offers festival audiences an exceptional opportunity to experience a profound Egyptian cinematic work that reaffirms the power of film to unite artistic beauty with human purpose

About El Gouna Film Festival:

El Gouna Film Festival is one of the leading festivals in the Middle East and North Africa. It aims to present a diverse selection of films from around the world, with a particular focus on Arab cinema, to an engaged and knowledgeable audience. The festival seeks to foster cultural exchange through the art of filmmaking, connecting regional filmmakers with their international counterparts in a spirit of collaboration and dialogue. Furthermore, it strives to promote and support the growth of the industry in the region, providing a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work and discover new voices and talents that enrich the world of cinema.

About El Gouna:

El Gouna, the fully integrated town by Orascom Development, has been the most prominent destination nestled on the Red Sea on an area of 36.9 million square meters for more than 35 years. The town encompasses 9,200 delivered residential units, 18 hotels with 2,800 rooms, schools offering various international curricula including Swiss and British certifications, an international hospital, start-up workspace facility, four marinas, two world-class golf courses, an Egyptian Premier League football club, a culture & conference center, and an array of services.

With a population of more than 25,000 residents of 50+ nationalities, El Gouna is only 30 minutes from Hurghada International Airport, which is only a four-hour flight from Europe’s major capitals.