El Gouna Film Festival has always been a prestigious platform for showcasing groundbreaking cinema. This year, however, the seventh edition offers something new; a dedicated spotlight on short films. While the festival will feature 71 films spanning narrative, documentary, and short formats, including short films in its official competition for the first time has caught the attention of cinephiles and filmmakers alike.

In a country where feature films dominate, GFF's decision to elevate short films marks a pivotal moment. According to the festival's artistic director, Marianne Khoury, these films often serve as autobiographies for young directors, offering a personal and direct insight into their visions. This year's festival features films from 40 countries, with 12 shorts representing the debut works of emerging filmmakers.

With that said, below, we dive into our top picks for Egyptian short films that stand out and would definitely get you into the world of shorts:

1- Shift Masa2y

Directed by Essam Omar, Shift Masa2y introduces us to Zain, a 20-something man content with his routine job at a customer service centre. During a late-night shift, Zain receives a call from a customer. What begins as a simple service complaint spirals into an intense psychological encounter, as the customer's frustration exposes Zain's inner vulnerabilities and dissatisfaction with his life.

2- El Loon El Azra2

Set in Alexandria, El Loon El Azra2 connects three seemingly unrelated stories through the theme of death and the sea. Also directed by Marwan Hamed, the film follows Dalia, a nurse haunted by her father's drowning; Mokhtar, a schizophrenic painter obsessed with capturing the essence of death; and Salim, a diver who faces death head-on during an underwater expedition.

3- Sabah El Fol

In Sabah El Fol, director Amr Ezzat looks at the daily grind faced by women like Thanaa, a working mother who finds herself stuck in a repetitive, suffocating routine. Played by Hend Sabry, her struggle to balance work, motherhood, and a disengaged marriage is the core of the narrative. Hend's performance is captivating, portraying a woman on the edge, battling emotional exhaustion and societal pressures.

4- Regal La Ta3ref El Mostaheel

For a lighter change of pace, Regal La Ta3ref El Mostaheel offers a comedic take on Egyptian heroism. Directed by the trio Ahmed Fahmy, Hesham Maged, and Chico, the film follows three intelligence officers on a mission to sabotage the Mossad building in Tel Aviv. The film mocks both the genre of patriotic cinema and the exaggerated heroism often depicted in these narratives with a mix of slapstick humour and sharp wit.

5- Mate3lash 3ala el Hageb

This film dives deep into the psychological struggles faced by women in a society where religious rules and societal expectations intersect. Mate3lash 3ala el Hageb follows the lives of two women, Sally and Aisha, both doctors. While Sally, a married woman, is afforded privileges under religious edicts, such as being allowed to pluck her eyebrows to please her husband, Aisha finds herself confined by her singleness. Through her desire to pluck her eyebrows, a seemingly simple act, Aisha confronts the larger issue of autonomy and societal judgment.

6- Shoka w Sekina

This gripping short, starring powerhouse actors Menna Shalaby and Eyad Nassar, opens with a romantic setting that quickly unravels into a psychological game of love, betrayal, and emotional manipulation. Set in a dimly lit restaurant, the film plays like a verbal ping-pong match, with both characters defending their points of view on love, marriage, and betrayal. The witty dialogue and fast-paced exchanges keep the audience engaged, while the underlying tension between the characters makes it impossible to look away.

7- El Bateekha

For a film that lasts only ten minutes, El Bateekha offers a remarkably rich portrayal of the life of an average Egyptian employee in the mid-1970s. Directed by the legendary Mohamed Khan, the film depicts a day in the life of a man burdened by financial pressures, only to find solace in sharing a watermelon with his family. The beauty of the film lies in its simplicity.

8- Har Gaf Sayfan

This emotionally charged film tells the story of Shawky, a cancer patient, and Duaa, a bride-to-be, who cross paths in a Cairo taxi. As the two navigate the crowded streets of the city, their fates intersect in a fleeting yet impactful encounter.  Director Sherif El Bendary's attention to detail is particularly notable, which is why the film masterfully captured the essence of Cairo's bustling streets while reflecting on life and death.