MAD World boards El Gouna’s opening film, Abdelwahab Shawky’s THE LAST MIRACLE

Mad Solutions — the world’s largest film distributor for Arab films with an extensive library, including more than 500 shorts and features — has acquired the worldwide rights to Abdelwahab Shawky's highly anticipated Egyptian short film THE LAST MIRACLE, the opening film for the seventh edition of the El Gouna Film Festival, which will be running from October 24th to November 1st. 

The acquisition marks the second consecutive year that MAD has picked up the world sales rights to El Gouna’s opening film. Last year, the company acquired Amr Salama’s Egyptian film 60 POUNDS, the first ever short in history to open an Arab film festival.

THE LAST MIRACLE tells the story of 40-year-old Yahya, who receives a surprising phone call from a deceased Sheikh at a bar. Little does he know he’s about to go on a spiritual journey with an unexpected conclusion.

Based on a tale in a short story collection titled THE TAVERN OF THE BLACK CAT by the Nobel laureate and the Arab world’s most celebrated novelist to date, the late Naguib Mahfouz, the film stars Khaled Kamal, whose credits include several prominent Egyptian films and television series, among them the 2016 Cannes’ Un Certain Regard opener CLASH by Mohamed Diab.

Co-starring alongside Kamal are Ahmed Siam and Abed Anani, with a special guest appearance by Ghada Adel, the Egyptian actress known for a two-decade string of cult films and box office smashes, including Mohamed Khan’s IN THE HELIOPOLIS FLAT. 

Directed by Abdelwahab Shawky from a screenplay co-written with Mark Lotfy, THE LAST MIRACLE is produced by Amjad Abu Alala of Station Films, well known for the iconic Sudanese film YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY. Also producing are Mark Lotfy’s Fig Leaf Studios, known for his work on MOTHER OF ALL LIES and I AM AFRAID TO FORGET YOUR FACE; Baho Bakhsh and Safei Eldin Mahmoud’s Red Star Films, which produced GOODBYE JULIA; Adel Abdullah’s Key Films, and Shoft Studios, with the support of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC). 

Omar Abu Doma of the 2020 Cairo International Film Festival hit CURFEW, served as director of photography, and Yasser Azmy of the 2024 Venice-bound SEEKING HAVEN FOR MR. RAMBO, served as an editor, and Assem Ali of the 2021 Cannes title FEATHERS is the film’s production designer

Commenting on his film, writer-director Abdelwahab Shawky explains that THE LAST MIRACLE still speaks to our times despite its historic origins. “This story was part of the collection Mahfouz wrote right after the 1967 NAKSA, and my personal belief is that we are still feeling the effects of 1967. There is a sense of loss of faith in oneself and one's abilities and a reliance on the irrational, as it is the only hope.

“Everyone remembers how absorbed Egyptians were by the Virgin Mary's appearance over Al Zaytoun Church in Cairo following the Naksa and Muslims' tendency to be superficial and strictly religious. The Arab man was defeated and lost hope for solutions on earth; choosing instead to wait for divine intervention. Unfortunately, we are still facing that same reality in the Arab World today, and we all need to dismantle it and address its causes, which is why I see this as one of our major issues,” he added.

The film explores the relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds, emphasizing the thin boundary between opposites and contradictions in life while also adopting a postmodern approach that deconstructs the relationship between humans and spirituality without judgment.

MAD’s releasing arm, MAD Distribution, will handle THE LAST MIRACLE’s distribution across the Arab-speaking territories; in all other territories, the film will be sold through the company’s international sales company, MAD World.

Abdelwahab Shawky kicked off his career working as an assistant director with renowned Arab filmmakers such as Khaled Marie, Hatem Ali, Amjad Abu Alala, and Yousry Nasrallah. 

He was the first assistant director on Amjad Abu Alala's critically acclaimed YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY, winner of the Lion of the Future Award at the Venice Film Festival. In addition, he served as a first assistant director on the action flick SHI’O, which topped the Egyptian box office during the 2024 Eid Al Fitr. 

Shawky also contributed to various TV series, including Yousry Nasrallah’s MNWARA BAHLAHA, EL ANISA FARAH, and KAENO EMBAREH. In addition to his assistant director roles, Shawky served as a script supervisor for KAENO EMBAREH and worked as an assistant director in the TV drama HAGAR GOHANAM and the film LAF WE DAWRAN. 

He further extended his involvement in the television industry by contributing to the drama AL AHD. Currently, he is serving as the first assistant director in Mohamed Siam’s upcoming film MY FATHER'S SCENT, which scooped five awards at the 2024 Final Cut in Venice.