From haunted houses displayed in 3D to the glory of blind football, from down-to-earth family drama to over-the-top superhero comedy, Egyptian cinema has enjoyed one of its most diverse and novel storytelling all through 2023. Between long-awaited sequels to 18 year old romcoms, and generational takes on MMA fighting intertwined with underground rap, here are our picks for the best films of the year…

Shamareekh

Directed by Amr Salama

Action

Starring Asser Yassin, Amina Khalil, Khaled El Sawy and Adam El Sharkawy, this action-packed film follows the story of an assassin eager to be accepted by his arms dealer father - only to fall in love with his next mark! Let’s be real though, the real hero of the film was the fireworks.

Voy! Voy! Voy!

Directed by Omar Helal

Drama

Hassan is a struggling security guard who dreams of living a better life abroad. When he comes across a blind football team, he decides to pose as a visually impaired person to join and compete in their World Cup tournament in Europe. Starring Mohammed Farag, Nelly Karim, Bayoumi Fouad, Nelly Karimand Taha Desouki, the film has been nominated to the Oscars’ Foreign Language Film Award Committee for its 96th edition.

Wesh X Wesh

Directed by Walee El Halfawy

Comedy

Amina Khalil and Mohammed Mamdouh portray a married couple who, after a huge fight, decide to get both of their families involved and invite them over. They soon become trapped in the couple’s apartment - with drama ensuing immediately. The expansive and talented cast includes Mohamed Chahin, Anoushka, Asmaa Galal, Bayoumi Fouad and Ahmed Khaled Saleh.

Beit El Ruby

Directed by Peter Mimi

Comedy Drama

Starring Karim Abdelaziz, Karim Mahmoud Abdelaziz, Nour and Tara Emad, ‘Beit El Ruby’ is a charming dramedy about a wealthy family who live a peaceful, isolated life outside the city, only to be forced to return after a troublesome uncle causes an unfortunate social media post to go viral.

Yoom 13

Directed by Omar Helal

Horror

Youm 13 shook audiences, not only because of all the jump scares, but because it came out as the first Egyptian 3D film! With horror being so rare in the Egyptian film industry, the film is a local take on the genre as we follow the protagonist, Ezz El Dein, who returns to Egypt after 25 years abroad to live in his family’s mansion. Starring Ahmed Dawood, Sherif Mounir, Dina El Sherbiny and Arwa Gouda, it doesn’t take long before the heartstopping paranormal activities unfold.

Awlad Harim Karim

Directed by Ali Idress

Romantic Comedy

The sequel we didn’t know we wanted. Eighteen years since the release of its predecessor ‘Harim Karim’, the original film’s cast - including Mostafa Ammar, Basma, Dalia El Behery and Shokry Sarhan - return to star in ‘Awlad Harim Karim’ along with Boshra, Amr Abdelghelil, Rana Rais and Tayyam Ammar. ‘Awlad Harim Karim’ follows the children of the original film’s characters, who wrap both generations up in plenty of romcom shenanigans.

Tag

Directed by Sara Wafiq

Action

An Egyptian superhero film? It’s a small but ever-growing niche, and ‘Tag’ is the latest entry with a super-comedic twist. Starring Tamer Hosny, Dina El Sherbiny, Amr Abdelghelil and Hala Fakher, the film follows a man who discovers he is capable of superhuman speed, and ends up having to fight his diabolical twin brother while trying not to embarrass himself in front of the love of his life.

5 Gawlat

Directed by Mazen Ashraf

Action Drama

Featuring rising stars Adam El Sharkawy, Nour El Nabawy and Dalia Shawky, the film centres around Fares, an aspiring Mixed Martial Arts fighter from rural Egypt whose dream of becoming a champion takes him to the city. The film has a refreshing narrative made by youth for youth, while exploring both the MMA fighting community and the rap scene in Egypt.

El Matareed

Directed by Yasser Samy

Comedy

A young man who was living abroad has to return to Egypt after his father passes away in order to deal with his failing football club, El Matareed. Hoping to rebuild it and sell it for a good price in order to fly back to the US, he instead finds himself dribbling his way towards some new goals while adapting to life in Egypt. The comedy stars Ahmed Hatem, Tara Emad, Eyad Nassar and Mahmoud El Bezzawy.

60 Gneeh

Directed by Amr Salama

Drama

Starring Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza as himself, the short film tells the story of Zaza’s upbringing and his struggles with music, his family and domestic abuse. Inspired by the artist's hit track of the same title, ‘60 Gneeh’ was chosen as the opening film for the sixth edition of El Gouna Film Festival.