Egypt’s Happy Birthday Wins Big at Tribeca Film Festival

At this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, an Egyptian story of quiet resilience and childhood yearning stole the international spotlight. ‘Happy Birthday’, the debut feature from writer-director Sarah Goher, won Best International Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay in the international competition, marking a watershed moment not just for Goher, but for contemporary Egyptian cinema.

Set in Cairo, ‘Happy Birthday’ follows the story of Toha, an eight-year-old girl working as a domestic maid in an upper-class household. Her mission? To throw the perfect birthday party for her employer’s daughter, Nelly, while secretly longing for a celebration of her own.

Played with heartbreaking subtlety by newcomer Doha Ramadan, Toha’s journey unfolds against a backdrop of quiet inequality, navigating the spaces between servitude, friendship, and the unspoken dreams of childhood.

The film was co-written by Goher and celebrated Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab, best known globally for his work on Marvel’s ‘Moon Knight’. Diab also served as executive producer, helping steer the project from concept to festival debut. Behind the scenes, the film was brought to life by producers Ahmed El Desouky, Ahmed Abbas, and Ahmed Badawy, and notably backed by Hollywood heavyweights Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner, whose involvement signals a growing interest in globally resonant stories grounded in regional specificity.

Shot in Arabic and steeped in the sensory textures of Cairo life, ‘Happy Birthday’ captivated Tribeca audiences and jurors alike. Its cinematography, led by Seif El Din Khaled, and crisp, emotionally restrained editing by Ahmed Hafez, gave the film a lyrical but unsentimental rhythm, allowing the story’s emotional core to land with quiet force.

For Goher, the film marks a confident, compassionate debut. Critics praised her directorial voice for its empathy and precision, with The Knockturnal calling ‘Happy Birthday’ “the emotional highlight of the festival.”