Egyptian Short Films You Can Stream Online

Egyptian short films can be surprisingly easy to miss once they leave the festival circuit, but many eventually find their way online. From dramas and dark comedies to road films and social satires, they offer a quick way into stories that might otherwise slip under the radar.

Here are Egyptian short films you can stream online now, including festival favourites, older releases and newer titles worth catching.

[1] ‘32B: Mashakel Da5elya’

Directed by Mohamed Taher and starring Mohamed Mamdouh, Hana Shiha and Ahmed Dash, the short film follows a newly separated father who is struggling to connect with his teenage daughter when she has to buy her first bra.

‘32B: Mashakel Da5elya’ will be released on Shahid on October 22nd.

[2] ‘Afla’

Starring Sedky Sakhr and Gihan El Shamashergy, ‘Afla’ explores compassion, prejudice and how willing people are to accept those they see as different.

Written and directed by Ahmed Mostafa El-Zoghbi, the short film unfolds at dawn on Eid, when the family patriarch suddenly falls ill. As the men rush to find a doctor, the women and children remain behind, waiting for news. The situation grows more tense when a female tenant arrives with a group of young men, bringing the family’s assumptions and discomfort to the surface.

‘Afla’ screened at the Cairo International Film Festival and is now available to watch on YouTube.

[3] ‘Fifteen’

Fifteen’, Sameh Alaa’s directorial debut, follows a 15-year-old boy carrying an infant through Cairo’s crowded streets and hospital corridors.

Starring Ahmed El Amir and Ahmed Abd El Razek, the short film gradually reveals the boy’s personal trauma and the strain surrounding his relationship with his sick mother. Released in 2017, ‘Fifteen’ became the first Egyptian film selected for the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to receive awards at several international festivals.

The film is available to watch on YouTube through Bekke’s Short Films channel and on Vimeo.

[4] ‘Nightshift’

Directed by Karim Shaaban, ‘Nightshift’ follows Zein, a young customer service representative working a late shift when a routine call begins to unravel. Played by Essam Omar, Zein answers what initially appears to be a complaint about an internet outage. The conversation quickly turns into an aggressive rant from the caller, revealing frustrations that begin to mirror Zein’s own sense of powerlessness and the pressures of his job.

Also starring Ahmed Kamal and Marwa Anwar, the short film is available to watch on YouTube through Shaaban’s channel.

[5] ‘600 Kilos’

‘600 Kilos’, directed by Mohamed Ashraf Koushi, follows Nour, a young man in his early twenties who sets out by bicycle from Cairo to Safaga to deliver a letter from his late grandfather to a long-lost relative.

Starring Youssef Osman and Tarek Abdel Aziz, the 17-minute short uses the journey to explore grief, loneliness and self-discovery. Along the way, Nour meets a withdrawn truck driver, and their conversation becomes one of the film’s key turning points.

The film was inspired by Koushi’s own bicycle trip from Cairo to Safaga in 2017 and later screened at festivals including the Luxor African Film Festival, Marrakech International Short Film Festival and Malmo Arab Film Festival. The film is available to watch on YouTube through Ebn Othman’s channel.

[6] ‘A Dreamer's Cairo’

Directed by Ezz Elawady, ‘A Dreamer’s Cairo’ treats the city as more than a backdrop, following Ahmed Al Ashry as a version of himself navigating a move from Port Said to Cairo. The short traces Ahmed’s arrival in the capital to attend university while pursuing his ambition of becoming an actor, using his experience to explore the pull, pressure and possibility of life in Cairo.

‘A Dreamer’s Cairo’ received an award at the WildSound Short Film Festival and is available to watch through the festival’s streaming platform and YouTube channel.

[7] ‘The Interview’

Starring Sarrah Abdelrahman, Hoda Shehata and Naglaa Younes, ‘The Interview’ follows Nadia, played by Abdelrahman, as she prepares for a job interview that could help ease her family’s financial difficulties. When her mother falls ill, Nadia is forced to weigh the opportunity against her responsibilities at home, turning the film into a story about care, pressure and the choices placed on women within the family.

Directed by Hind Metwalli, ‘The Interview’ premiered at the 44th Cairo International Film Festival and is available to watch for free on YouTube through Abdelrahman’s channel.

[8] ‘I Don’t Care If the World Collapses’

Directed by Karim Shaaban, ‘I Don’t Care If the World Collapses’ follows a driven producer trying to keep an important commercial shoot from falling apart. When the star suddenly quits, she is forced to choose between meeting the demands of the job and responding with basic empathy, putting her professional instincts at odds with the people around her.

Starring Salma Abu Deif, Emad Rashad and Ameer Salah Eldin, the short film is available to watch for free on Shaaban’s YouTube channel.

[9] ‘Mama’

Directed by Najy Ismail and starring May Elghety, ‘Mama’ is based on true events and follows Mai, a 20-year-old woman from Alexandria caring for her younger brother while their mother is bedridden by a mysterious illness. As the siblings try to keep their situation hidden from those around them, Mai is left carrying much of the responsibility alone, turning the film into a story about care, secrecy and the pressures placed on young people within a family.

‘Mama’ screened at the Cairo International Film Festival and is available to watch on CIFF’s YouTube channel.

[10] ‘Public Indecency’

Directed and written by Khaled Khella, ‘Public Indecency’ is a dark comedy-drama about a conflicted young man and his enthusiastic girlfriend trying to find somewhere private in Cairo to share a kiss. Their search takes a turn when they inadvertently attract the attention of a group determined to stop them. The short film plays with ideas of social surveillance, isolation and the limits placed on public displays of affection, particularly for younger Egyptians.

‘Public Indecency’ is available to watch for free on Khaled Khella’s YouTube channel.