About Us
RAHALA seeks to have a leading role in the independent filmmaking industry through working with young filmmakers who have the talent and passion to turn their ideas into films that are bold and creative. We are eager to work on and co-produce films not only from Egypt but also from around the globe, especially the rest of Africa.
At Rahala, we believe that a low budget should not affect the quality of production, we provide a professional production cycle from the beginning of the work to its release.
We at Rahala believe in social responsibility and the necessity of sharing art and sharing the field of expression through cinema with members of all classes of society. Therefore, we aim to cooperate with civil society organizations, Egyptian, regional and international bodies and institutions in order to provide our expertise in the field of filmmaking.
Naji Ismail
Founder/filmmaker
Naji Ismail, an Egyptian film director, producer, and screenwriter, moved after completing high school from his village in Upper Egypt (Sohag) to Cairo to study cinema at the Higher Institute of Cinema and graduated from the Directing Department.
After graduation,he was interested in continuing his studies, and in fact he obtained a scholarship to study documentary film at George Washington University in the United States.
In 2012, he founded Rahala Production and Distribution Company in Cairo, through which he directed his first short film, the documentary “Om Amira,” which participated in the official competition of the Berlin Film Festival and was a return to Egyptian cinema for the festival’s competitions after an absence.
Rahala’s productions then continued, including short and long films by a number of directors, which gained the approval of audiences and critics and won many international and local awards.
Naji also teaches cinema in many cultural places and organizations.
