Happy Birthday
Eight-year-old Toha has big plans; she wants to throw her friend Nelly a birthday party. But the differences between them will make this a challenge in ways she may not fully understand.
This film is generously sponsored by Xixi & Jonathan Shakes.
Tickets
Select showtime for pricing and tickets.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
Sunday, May 17, 2026
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
Eight-year-old Toha has big plans; she wants to throw her friend Nelly a birthday party. Nelly's birthday has been somewhat overlooked by her family in the context of her parents' imminent divorce which is causing her mother and grandmother to have to move out of their upscale home in a gated community. But Toha knows how much the party means to her friend, and she has her own investment in the party as well. Nelly has explained that when blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, one gets to make a wish–and Toha, who has never had a birthday party, wants to make that wish! Determined and resourceful, she sets about putting events in motion, enlisting Nelly's mother and orchestrating the décor, the food, the outfits, and of course, the cake. But Toha isn't just Nelly's friend, she's a maid in the household, and she has no idea how this will complicate her aspirations.
Sarah Goher's debut film features a remarkable performance from child actor Doha Ramadan and was Egypt's submission to the Academy Awards in the Best International feature category.
—Justine Barda
- Director: Sarah Goher
- Principal Cast: Nelly Karim, Doha Ramadan, Hanan Motawie, Hanan Youssef
- Country: Egypt
- Year: 2025
- Running Time: 92 min.
- Producer: Ahmed El Desouky
- Screenplay: Mohamed Diab, Sarah Goher
- Cinematographers: Seif Eldin Khaled
- Editors: Ahmed Hafez
- Music: Mina Samy
- Awards: Official Academy Awards® Submission 2026 (International Feature), Palm Springs International Film Festival 2026 (FIPRESCI First Feature Film Prize), Tribeca Film Festival 2025 (Nora Ephron Award, Best International Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature), Mill Valley Film Festival 2025 (Mind the Gap Audience Award), Sao Paulo International Film Festival 2025 (Best Performance), Heartland Film Festival 2025 (Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature), El Gouna Film Festival 2025 (Cinema for Humanity Audience Award)
- Filmography: Debut Feature Film
- Language: Arabic
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- International Sales: Skylimit Production