‘60 Egyptian Pounds’ to Compete at Arab Film Festival Rotterdam

Egyptian filmmaker and screenwriter Amr Salama’s short film, ‘60 Egyptian Pounds’, is set to be screened at Rotterdam’s Arab Film Festival as it competes in the Arab Shorts Program.

The 18-minute film, which features Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza’s first on-screen performance, follows Zaza’s story as an aspiring artist as he and his family continue to suffer through poverty, with their situation aggravated by an abusive father. As the abuse comes to a head, Zaza is finally pushed to take matters into his own hands.

‘60 Egyptian Pounds’ was selected as the opening film of the sixth El Gouna Film Festival in October 2023, with its international premiere held in March 2024 at the Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland.

The short film will be screened at midday on June 1st at the Studio de Bakkerij, competing against three other films from Syria, Egypt and Jordan in its category, all of which highlight human drama and the complexity of relationships.