EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Jamie Foxx has boarded Egyptian filmmaker Sarah Goher‘s directorial debut Happy Birthday as a producer under his banner Foxxhole Productions with producing partner Datari Turner.
The film is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival today as part of the International Narrative Competition. Goher’s Egyptian narrative feature is the only Arab film in the festival, as well as the only film in the Arabic language.
Happy Birthday is described as a reflection of class disparities in Egypt and tells the moving story of Toha, a child maid, who goes against all odds so that Nelly, her best friend and the daughter of the family she works for, has a birthday party. Her mother Laila, caught in a pending divorce, is reluctant to make it happen but with Toha’s determination, Nelly’s wish for a birthday party comes true.
Goher co-wrote Happy Birthday with her husband and creative partner Mohamed Diab, who is also executive producing. Goher and Diab are the filmmaking duo behind the hit Marvel series Moon Knight, which starred Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke and May Calamawy. Their credits also include Clash, which opened Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, and Palestine-set Amira, which won several awards at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
“We are proud to support this powerful film and its visionary creators,” said Foxx and Turner. “We can’t wait for audiences to see the film.”
Happy Birthday is also produced by Ahmed El Desouky for SkyLimit, Ahmed Badawy for FilmSquare and Ahmed Abbas for Immersive Studios. It features Egyptian acting stars Nelly Karim (Voy! Voy! Voy!, The Blue Elephant), Hanan Motawie, Hanan Youssef, and breakout child actor Doha Ramadan.
