8 Egyptian Films Currently Showing at Theatres

It’s set to be a busy few weeks for Egyptian cinemas thanks to stacks of Egyptian productions hitting the silver screen over the past few weeks. 2024 has brought with it a surge of Egyptian home-cooked blockbusters, so we’ve compiled a selection of the most recent films that you’re sure to find at a cinema near you.

1. El Eskandrany

Directed by Khaled Youssef 

Set in the heart of Alexandria, the protagonist Bakr El Eskandrany goes through many conflicts with his father, cousin, and lover. As a result he decides to travel abroad in search of a new life, and when he returns after finding himself, past conflicts haunt him again.

2. El Harifa

Directed by Raouf El Sayed

Majed is forced to leave a cushy private education behind and move to a public school. As he becomes acquainted with his classmates, his excellent football skills make him popular, and soon he joins the school team hoping to win the grand prize in the upcoming competition.

3. El Maleka

Directed by Sameh Abdel Aziz, Written by Hisham Hilal & Ahmad Ramzy

In this comedy, businesswoman Magda (played by Hala Sedqy), gets exposed to a lot of harassment at work, but she survives her enemies’ attempts to harm her and is determined to prove herself and claim the full rights she deserves from them.

4. Maqsoum

Directed by Kawthar Younis, Written by Haitham Dabour

Amy (played by Laila Eloui), Rania (Sherine Reda) , and Hend (Samaa Ibrahim) receive an invitation to hold a concert in Aswan and revive their musical band, which had fallen apart since they left university in the 1990s due to disagreements between the three of them. The trio embarks on a final musical adventure full of unexpected situations, in an irreverent mix of social comedy and music.

5. Rehla 404 - Flight 404

Directed by Hani Khalifa, Written by Mohamed Ragaa

A few days before her pilgrimage to Mecca to perform Hajj, Ghada (played by Mona Zaki) faces an emergency, forcing her to reach out to people from her tainted past with whom she had cut off contact, in order to collect a large sum of money. So, as she collects the money, will she manage to go to Mecca, or get tangled up in the past's webs? Screenwriter Mohamed Ragaa, Recipient of the 2015 Sawiris Award, has crafted a narrative that remains shrouded in mystery , with very few details released.

6. Adel Mesh Adel

Directed by Ahmed Yousri

Adel El Amin is a confused man, who only becomes more confused when he falls in love with a girl whose reality scares him, which gets him into a lot of problems. To make matters worse, he finds himself pursued by journalist Ghada, who only cares about getting scoops.

7. Laylat El Eid

Directed by Sameh Abdel Aziz, Written by Ahmed Abdallah

Through the story of a group of women living on an island, this social drama sheds light on women's issues through the suffering of several women living on an island, struggling to deal with some men's lack of understanding of their rights. The film discusses child marriage and female genital mutilation, with an emphasis on themes of shame and honour. ‘Laylat El Eid’ also marks Youssra’s return to the silver screen after a four-year hiatus following ‘Saheb Al Maqam’ (2020).

8. Attagriba Almeksikiya - The Mexican Experiment

Directed by Shady Ali

The film revolves around a group of friends traveling on a mission to Mexico where they are exposed to many comical situations. The film is slated for release in Egypt and across the region on February 9th.