'Souad' Selected as Egypt's Official Submission to the Oscars

Egypt has selected 'Souad', a film by director Ayten Amin about a pair of sisters who struggle with the pressures and consequences of social media, for submission to the Oscars for the 94th Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

The film has recently enjoyed a string of international successes, including being long-listed for Best International Independent Film at the British Independent Film Awards, getting nominated four times for Best Film at events like Prague International Film Festival and IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival, and winning Best Actress at Tribeca Film Festival shared between leading actresses Bassant Ahmed and Basmala Elghaiesh.

This was Ahmed and Elghaiesh's first major role, having been selected by Amin to include actresses whose lived experiences were similar to the characters they depict on screen. Exploring the far-reaching impact of social media, the emotionally nuanced drama of two teenage girls in a small Nile Delta city brings to the surface the everyday struggles faced by Egypt's youth in an increasingly interconnected world.