Egyptian short PAPA TOLD ME to world premiere at Italy’s Middle East Now Film Festival

Marking its festival circuit debut, Passant Ahmed’s first narrative short film PAPA TOLD ME is set to world premiere at the 15th edition of the Middle East Now Film Festival, taking place from October 15th to 20th in Florence, Italy.

The film follows Emad, a ten-year-old boy who lives with an abusive father and finds solace in his obsession with ice cream. One day, noticing his father is occupied with a sudden development, Emad seizes the opportunity to get his hands on some ice cream and gleefully consumes it in front of his father.

Discussing the film, Ahmed said, “In PAPA TOLD ME, I delve into the complex relationship between a son and his abusive father, portraying the struggles the child faces in such a challenging environment and how it shapes his responses.”

Written, directed, produced, and edited by Passant Ahmed, the film stars Osama Hawary, Hamza Haytham, and Omar Negm, and is lensed by Filopater Moard, with MAD WORLD handling worldwide sales and MAD Distribution managing distribution across the Arab World.

Passant Ahmed is an experimental filmmaker, video editor, and mixed media artist who was born in Alexandria and graduated from Pharos University’s Arts and Design faculty in 2023, majoring in filmmaking and animation. Her filmmaking journey began in 2019 with her debut experimental film DON’T BLAME THE APPLE.

Known for her productions that blur the lines between reality and fiction, Passant has written and directed four short experimental films between 2020 and 2022, including UNTIL THERE WAS NOTHING, GHATOM, and NEW PERSPECTIVE OF MAYA DEREN FILMS.

In 2023, Passant directed her first narrative short film, PAPA TOLD ME, marking a significant milestone in her career.