El Gouna Film Fest to open With Sarah Goher's 'Happy Birthday'
Starring Nelly Karim and Hanan Motawie, the film had won three awards at Tribeca Film Fest.
El Gouna Film Festival has announced that its eighth edition will open with the Egyptian feature Happy Birthday, directed by Sarah Goher.
The film has already made waves on the international circuit, winning three awards at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival: Best International Feature, Best International Script, and the Nora Ephron Award for Best Female Director. Co-written by Goher and Mohamed Diab - known for 678 and Clash - the film is executive produced by Diab and produced by Ahmed El Desouky, Ahmed Abbas, Ahmed Badawy, Datari Turner, and American actor and producer Jamie Foxx.
Starring Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawea, and rising talent Doha Ramadan, Happy Birthday follows Toha (Ramadan), a child working in a wealthy household who forms a bond with Nelly (Khadija Ahmed), her employer’s daughter.
Having never celebrated her own birthday, Toha dedicates herself to creating a grand celebration for Nelly while quietly wishing for the same joy herself. “It is an honour to have my first feature selected as the Opening Film of the 8th Edition of El Gouna Film Festival,” said director Sarah Goher.
“I am deeply grateful to the Festival for this recognition and for its continuous commitment to supporting filmmakers. On behalf of my wonderful team, we are excited to share Happy Birthday with such a distinguished audience.
Thank you Gouna!” Marianne Khoury, GFF's Artistic Director, added, “This is only the second time in our festival’s history that we've chosen an Egyptian feature for opening night. Happy Birthday's compelling narrative about class and human connection, told through the innocent eyes of a child, makes it a perfect choice for opening the El Gouna Film Festival.” The festival’s eighth edition is scheduled from October 16th to 24th, 2025.
