<p>The short film Qafla (Blackout) will be screened as part of the Egyptian Panorama (Out of Competition) at the 46th Cairo International Film Festival. The screening is scheduled for Thursday, 20 November, at 3:00 PM at the Main Theatre of the Cairo Opera House.</p>
<p>Set in a downtown Cairo building with high ceilings and fading grandeur, Qafla depicts a tense Eid night where celebration collides with paranoia. As families gather and the city buzzes outside, a woman invites a male guest into her apartment, an ordinary act that triggers extraordinary consequences. Neighbors begin to watch, curiosity turns into judgement, and what starts as intrigue escalates into collective fear, superstition, and social projection. By morning, the building has become a pressure cooker of suspicion and control.</p>
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKeR66EtsRk/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ahmed El Zoghby (@zoghbyyy)</a></p>
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<p>The film has been officially selected for the Official Competition of the Austin Film Festival 2025 and featured at the 37th Annual Palm Springs International ShortFest, one of the world&rsquo;s leading showcases for short films. It has also received recognition at Finland&rsquo;s Oscar-qualifying Tampere Film Festival.</p>
<p>Inspired by a true event, Qafla examines the psychological and social mechanisms of collective control, particularly the ways in which women&rsquo;s autonomy is policed. The film stars Sedki Sakher, Gihan El Shamashergy, and Yara Gobran.</p>
<p>To dive deeper into the story behind the film, you can read our exclusive interview with director Ahmed El-Zoghby:<br /> <a href="https://nilefm.com/entertainment/article/12266/exclusive-director-ahmed-el-zoghby-s-qafla-blackout-selected-for-37th-annual-palm-springs-international-shortfest">&ldquo;Exclusive | Director Ahmed El-Zoghby&rsquo;s &lsquo;Qafla&rsquo; (Blackout) Selected for the 37th Annual Palm Springs International ShortFest.&rdquo;</a></p>
<p><strong>Photo Credit:</strong> Ahmed El-Zoghby&rsquo;s official page</p>

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