Sameh Alaa is an Egyptian director, producer, and writer. His short films Fifteen and I’m Afraid to Forget Your Face gained international acclaim, with the latter winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes - the first Egyptian film to do so. Sameh has served as a jury member at festivals like Cannes and Cairo, while his films have screened at major film festivals worldwide, including Toronto, Locarno, and San Sebastián, and were showcased at MoMA and the Venice Biennale. He is currently developing his first feature and working on an animated short.