‘Happy Birthday’ Chosen as Egypt’s 2025 Oscars Submission

The Egyptian Oscar Selection Committee voted in favour of 'Happy Birthday', directed by Sarah Goher and starring Nelly Karim, as the country’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category. The film secured nine out of 16 votes, narrowly surpassing its closest competitor, 'Refaat Al-Ayny Lelsama'. 'Happy Birthday' tells the story of Toha, an eight-year-old girl who works as a maid for a wealthy family in Cairo. Determined to celebrate her friend Nelly’s birthday, Toha’s efforts become a powerful exploration of class divides through the innocent eyes of childhood. The film has already earned international recognition - its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival resulted in three awards, including Best International Narrative Feature, the Nora Ephron Award, and Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature. It is slated to open the eighth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival in mid-October before its general release in Egypt. Other films under consideration were 'Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo', 'Al Hawa Sultan', 'Snow White', 'Sharq 12', 'Dhai.. Seerat Ahl El-Dhai' and 'Gawaza Wala Ganaza',