Abu Bakr Shawky’s drama “The Stories” — which is inspired by how the director’s Egyptian father and Austrian mother began their love affair as pen pals — has been selected as Egypt’s entry for the Aca

There isn’t an iota of artificiality in Ashgan El-Hamus’ impressive debut “Al Baraneya,” not an easy accomplishment given that it’s fiction looking like a documentary, with a cast almost exclusively c