A.B. SHAWKY/YOMEDDINE

Egyptian-Austrian filmmaker, A.B. Shawky studied Political Science and Filmmaking in Cairo. After graduating, he enrolled at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Grad Film Program. 

His thesis film for NYU was his debut feature Yomeddine.  The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2018 and received the Francois Chalais Award, and was Egypt's official submission for the 91st Academy Awards.

Shawky’s shorts The Colony, Things I Heard on Wednesdays and Martyr’s Friday have screened at festivals around the world.

His production company Desert Highway Pictures, which he founded in 2014, aims to bring stories of the underdog to the big screen.

Shawky was listed by Forbes Magazine among the top five Arab directors on the global stage. 

Variety Magazine named him MENA Talent of the Year.