The audience of the 8th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival granted the Egyptian film “Happy Birthday” the Cinema for Humanity Award, which was received by the film’s producer Ahmed El Desouky.
This marks the sixth award for the film, following three awards from the Tribeca Film Festival, one from the Heartland Film Festival in Indiana, USA, and another from the Mill Valley Film Festival, one of the most prominent festivals in the United States.
The film tells the story of Touha, a young girl who dreams of attending a birthday party — a story that reflects one of the key issues of our time: classism and its impact on our lives.
“Happy Birthday” is written by Mohamed Diab and Sara Goher, directed by Sara Goher, and produced by Ahmed El Desouky (Sky Limit), in co-production with Ahmed Badawy (Film Square) and Ahmed Abbas (Immersive). The film stars Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie, and Sherif Salama. Its world premiere took place in the official competition at the Tribeca Film Festival in the U.S., and it is set to be released commercially at a later date.
