WATCH: Rising Actor Mostafa Shaker on TIFF & Refusing Terrorist Roles

Mostafa Shaker, an Egyptian actor currently residing in Canada, is participating in the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for the first time with the screening of his short film, ‘One Day This Kid’. In a conversation with the actor at the festival, we learned more about his experience as an Egyptian actor in a Western environment, and what his participation in ‘One Day This Kid’ means to him.

Shaker began his artistic career in Cairo, Egypt as a theatre actor performing on stage, before shifting into the film and television industry. After an eight-year career in marketing communications, the artist participated in more than 20 theatre productions across Canada and Egypt, as well as over 30 independent Canadian projects. However, Shaker has not had it easy.

“I’ve faced a number of challenges as an Egyptian actor in the West,” Shaker tells CairoScene. “My first year auditioning, I had 16 auditions for terrorist roles. I’m trying to get out of this box, which has proven difficult to do here.”

Directed by Afghan-Canadian director Alexander Farah, ‘One Day This Kid’ follows the story of a young first-generation Afghan-Canadian person as he takes steps toward establishing an identity of his own while always conscious of his father's shadow. The short film is told through a composed array of small yet pivotal moments, providing windows into the main character’s life at eight, 13 and 30 years old.