Naji Ismail

Naji Ismail, an Egyptian film director, producer, and screenwriter, moved after completing high school from his village in Upper Egypt (Sohag) to Cairo to study cinema at the Higher Institute of Cinema and graduated from the Directing Department. After graduation, he was interested in continuing his studies, and in fact he obtained a scholarship to study documentary film at George Washington University in the United States. In 2012, he founded Rahala Production and Distribution Company in Cairo, through which he directed his first short film, the documentary "Om Amira," which participated in the official competition of the Berlin Film Festival and was a return to Egyptian cinema for the festival's competitions after an absence. Rahala's productions then continued, including short and long films by a number of directors, which gained the approval of audiences and critics and won many international and local awards. Naji also teaches cinema in many cultural places and organizations.