Oscars: Egypt Selects ‘The Stories’ For Best International Film Entry
Egypt has selected Abu Bakr Shawky drama The Stories as its entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 99th Academy Awards.
Unfolding against the backdrop of Egypt’s turbulent years from the late 1960s until the 1980s, British-Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry (Giant, MobLand) stars as an aspiring Egyptian concert pianist opposite Valerie Pachner (Four Minus Three) as an Austrian girl he connects with in 1967 via a pen pal scheme.
A long-distance friendship that is viewed with suspicion by his relatives develops into something deeper, as the young Austrian woman encourages the pianist to follow his musical dreams.
The cast also features Nelly Karim and Ahmed Kamal as well as Karim Kassem, Sabry Fawaz, Sherif El Dessouky, Khaled Mokhtar, Ahmed El Azaar and Amr Abed.
Taking inspiration from the true story of how Shawky’s parents met, The Stories is the director’s third feature after first film Yomeddine, which debuted in competition in Cannes in 2018, and was then followed by Saudi-set camel race drama Hajjan.
The Stories world premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2025, and then went on to win the Golden Tanit for Best Film at the Carthage Film Festival and also play at the Red Sea International Film Festival last December.
El-Masry is joined in the cast by Karim Kassem, Ahmed Kamal, Sabry Fawaz, Sherif El Dessouky, Khaled Mokhtar, Ahmed El Azaar and Amr Abed.
The film is produced by Cinenovo, Film Clinic, Lagoonie Film Production, Film Square, Shofha Productions, Film AG, Fox in the Snow and Wrong Men.
