The 12th edition of the Alexandria Short Film Festival hosted a masterclass titled “Casting the Director’s Team Behind and In Front of the Camera,” featuring directors Yousry Nasrallah and Amr Moussa, moderated by actor Sabry Fawaz 🎥✨.

Yousry Nasrallah opened the discussion with a philosophical reflection on cinema, describing it as a “crazy craft” by nature. He stressed that no filmmaker can survive in this field without a deep, almost magical passion that drives them through constant challenges 💡🎬.

He explained that his relationship with any film begins with a personal emotional question: Can I live inside this world? Can I discover something new within it? For him, directing is a continuous process of exploration and emotional engagement.

Nasrallah emphasized that characters in his films must be free and independent, often preferring them to be “smarter than him,” as this allows them to evolve naturally and create richer dramatic tension 🎭✨.

He also highlighted that antagonistic characters are not simply negative forces, but can be highly charismatic and compelling when written with psychological depth and complexity.

On the other hand, director Amr Moussa presented a more practical approach to filmmaking, focusing on casting and actor development 🎬🔥.

He stated that his passion lies in rediscovering actors and presenting them in completely new ways that break stereotypes and audience expectations.

Moussa rejected easy or default casting choices, preferring deep research and patience over convenience. He emphasized that true casting work requires avoiding “first-choice thinking” and exploring wider possibilities.

He also shared his experience as an assistant director on the series “Hagma Mortada,” where he deliberately avoided relying on established casting networks to discover fresh talent 💡🎭.

Regarding auditions, Moussa described them as mentally exhausting for actors, stressing the importance of creating a safe environment that allows performers to deliver their best. In one of his recent projects, he even invited actors into audition sessions to support participants and reduce stress.

He further emphasized that professionalism in the Egyptian film market requires a structured system led by the directing department working in parallel with casting directors to ensure maximum quality 🎥📊.

Meanwhile, Yousry Nasrallah highlighted the importance of assistant directors, calling it one of the most undervalued roles in filmmaking despite being essential for production organization.

He reflected on his own early experience as an assistant director, admitting he was not particularly successful at it, but learned significantly—especially during his collaboration with legendary filmmaker Youssef Chahine—which shaped his directing vision 🎬✨.

The festival runs from April 27 to May 2 in Alexandria and continues to serve as a key platform for emerging filmmakers and short film production across the Arab world 🌍🎥.

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