“Qafla” Selected for Dhofar International Film Festival
Egyptian short film “Qafla” is adding another international stop to its growing festival journey after being selected to participate in the second edition of the Dhofar International Film Festival in Salalah, Oman.
The festival is scheduled to take place from September 6 to September 9, 2026, bringing together filmmakers and cinematic works from several countries. 🌍🎥
For “Qafla,” the selection represents another important step in a festival journey that has already taken the Egyptian short film to several major international and regional events.
Ahmed El Zoghby Writes and Directs the Film
“Qafla” is written and directed by Ahmed El Zoghby and produced by Hind Metwally, with several co-producers involved in the project.
The film features an ensemble cast including:
🎭 Gehan El Shorbagy
🎭 Sedky Sakhr
🎭 Malek Emad
🎭 Yara Gabr
🎭 Naglaa Younes
🎭 Shaimaa Farouk
🎭 Youssef Idris
The production team also includes professionals working across cinematography, editing, sound design, color grading, and other technical departments.
What Is “Qafla” About?
The story takes place during the early hours of Eid morning, inside a residential building.
A family suddenly faces a medical emergency involving the grandfather. What should have been a joyful morning quickly turns into a tense race against time.
The male members of the family leave the building in search of a doctor who can help save the grandfather. However, they do not return as quickly as expected.
As time passes, the women and children are left behind, trapped in uncertainty and increasingly overwhelmed by fear.
🚨 The longer they wait, the more intense the atmosphere becomes.
What begins as a medical emergency gradually develops into a psychological exploration of fear, suspicion, uncertainty, and emotional pressure.
When Waiting Becomes a Psychological Crisis
One of the film’s most important dramatic elements is waiting.
Rather than focusing solely on the medical emergency, “Qafla” explores how a crisis can affect the people experiencing it from inside.
Fear begins to influence the way the characters interpret events, while previously hidden emotions gradually surface.
The film also explores the idea of psychological projection, as the women begin projecting their fears and suppressed tensions onto other people.
The situation becomes even more complicated when a female tenant enters the building accompanied by a mysterious young man, creating another layer of suspicion and emotional tension.
The central questions therefore become much larger than simply asking where the men have gone.
❓ What does fear do to people?
❓ How does uncertainty change our perception?
❓ Why do people sometimes project their fears onto others?
❓ Can a crisis reveal emotions that were hidden beneath everyday life?
An International Journey That Began in Finland
The Dhofar International Film Festival is far from the first international stop for “Qafla.”
The film previously competed in the 55th Tampere Film Festival in Finland, one of the prominent international festivals dedicated to short films. The festival is also recognized as an Oscar-qualifying event.
The film later reached the United States through the 37th Palm Springs International Film Festival, where it was selected for the official competition.
“Qafla” at Cairo International Film Festival
On the Egyptian festival circuit, “Qafla” was also screened during the 46th Cairo International Film Festival, as part of the Egyptian Cinema Panorama and its short-film program.
The Cairo screening represented an important opportunity for the film to meet Egyptian audiences while continuing its festival presence.
More European Festival Appearances
The film continued its international journey in 2026, participating in the La Guarimba International Film Festival in Italy, where it competed in the short fiction category.
It also participated in the 50th Filmfest Weiterstadt in Germany, adding another European stop to its growing festival record.
These appearances have helped position “Qafla” as one of the Egyptian short films gaining visibility across different international festival platforms.
Why Has “Qafla” Attracted Festival Attention?
The film’s strength lies in its ability to build tension around a simple but universally understandable human experience: waiting for news about someone we love during a crisis.
Fear, uncertainty, family pressure, and the inability to control what is happening outside the building are emotions that can cross cultural boundaries.
The choice of Eid morning as the setting also creates a strong dramatic contrast.
A moment traditionally associated with celebration and family gatherings suddenly becomes a moment of fear and uncertainty.
🎬 This contrast gives “Qafla” a distinctive emotional atmosphere and allows the film to explore how quickly ordinary life can change when an unexpected crisis occurs.
A New Festival Chapter for “Qafla”
With its selection for the Dhofar International Film Festival, Ahmed El Zoghby and his team continue to introduce “Qafla” to new audiences across the region.
The film’s journey demonstrates how Egyptian short cinema can travel beyond its local environment when it combines a clear human story with a focused cinematic approach. 🇪🇬🎬
And perhaps the film’s most intriguing question remains:
When fear takes control and uncertainty closes in, do we see reality as it really is—or only through the
