Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

has submitted films for consideration for the

Academy Award for Best International Feature Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

since 1958, when Youssef Chahine's ''Cairo Station'' became both the first African and the first Arab film to contend for the award. The Foreign Film award is handed out annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

that contains primarily non-English dialogue. The award was created for the 1956 Academy Awards, succeeding the non-competitive Honorary Academy Awards which were presented between 1947 and 1955 to the best foreign language films released in the United States. Egypt has submitted thirty-six films to the Foreign Oscar competition but has never yet achieved a coveted Oscar nomination. They virtually disappeared from the competition during the sixteen-year period between 1982 and 2001 (sending a total of three films), but returned as a regular participant in 1999.

Youssef Chahine Youssef Chahine ( ar, يوسف شاهين, Yūsuf Shāhīn ; 25 January 1926 – 27 July 2008) was an Egyptian film director. He was active in the Egyptian film industry from 1950 until his death. He directed twelve films that were listed ...

represented Egypt four times, more than any other director.

Submissions

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film since 1956. The Foreign Language Film Award Committee oversees the process and reviews all the submitted films. Following this, they vote via

secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vo ...

to determine the five nominees for the award. Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by Egypt for review by the academy for the award by year. Submissions between 1958 and 1960 were submitted under the name of the

United Arab Republic The United Arab Republic (UAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 until 1971. It was initially a political union between Eg ...

, which was the formal name of Egypt at the time. All films were in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

. The Egyptian Academy has been known in recent years for choosing topical films that are controversial at home.

Coptic Christians Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِبْط ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts are Co ...

launched an unsuccessful court case against 2004 submission ''I Love Cinema'' while dozens of Egyptian parliamentarians and a number of Muslim clerics similarly tried to ban ''The Yacoubian Building'' for depicting its depictions of

Islamic fundamentalism Islamic fundamentalism has been defined as a puritanical, revivalist, and reform movement of Muslims who aim to return to the founding scriptures of Islam. Islamic fundamentalists are of the view that Muslim-majority countries should return ...

and particularly

homosexuality Homosexuality is Romance (love), romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romant ...

. 2002's ''Secret of the Young Girl'' a drama about teenage pregnancy, and 2003's ''Sleepless Nights'', an examination of sex, divorce and relationships inside and outside of marriage also courted controversy among conservatives in Egypt. In 2022, Egypt's Oscar Selection Committee announced a shortlist of five films: ''The Crime'' by

Sherif Arafa Sherif Arafa ( ar, شريف عرفة) (born on December 25, 1960) is an Egyptian director, writer and producer. He graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema in 1982. Sharif Arafa participated in the making of many of the movies in the histor ...

, ''Full Moon'' by Hadi El Bagoury, ''Kira & El Gin'' by

Marwan Hamed Marwan Hamed ( ar, مروان حامد; born May 29, 1977) is a young Egyptian film director.Adil M. Asgarov, 'Hamed, Marwan (1977–)', Biographical Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa'. He is the son of author Wahid Hamed an ...

, ''2 Talaat Harb'' by Magdy Ahmed Ali and ''Villa 19-B'' by

Ahmad Abdalla Ahmad Abdalla El Sayed Abdelkader ( ar, أحمد عبد الله السيد) (born on December 19, 1979, Cairo) is an Egyptian film director, editor and screenwriter. His debut feature film is '' Heliopolis'' (2009); his second film is ''Microph ...

., although Ahmed Ali withdrew his film prior to the vote. On 29 September, it was announced that a majority of the selection committee voted not to enter any of the shortlisted films.

Notes

References

External links

The Official Academy Awards DatabaseIMDb Academy Awards Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Egyptian Submissions for the Academy Award For Best Foreign Language Film

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Submissions

See also

Notes

References

External links