Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Taher’s short film 32B is set to continue its international festival journey after being selected for the 22nd edition of the HollyShorts Film Festival in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
The Oscar-qualifying festival runs from 13 to 23 August 2026, with 32B joining 430 films selected for this year’s programme. The film is scheduled to screen on 18 August at 7:30 p.m., according to a screening announcement from Red Star Films.
The HollyShorts selection follows a significant achievement at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, where 32B received the award for Best Narrative Short. The film had its world premiere at Tribeca, earning recognition for its emotionally driven father-daughter story and its exploration of the challenges of being present for a child during important moments of adolescence.
Directed by Mohamed Taher and written by Haitham Dabbour, 32B is a 19-minute Egyptian Arabic-language comedy-drama starring Mohamed Mamdouh, Hana Shiha, Ahmed Dash, Jessica Hossam Eldin and Gehad Hossam El Din. The film is produced by Baho Bakhsh and Safei Eldin Mahmoud.
Set in Egypt in 2005, the film follows Hazem, a widowed father raising his teenage daughter, Malak. When Malak reaches puberty and needs her first bra, Hazem finds himself confronted with a situation he is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. His attempt to deal with the task himself develops into a humorous yet emotionally revealing experience that exposes the changing dynamics between father and daughter.
Through an everyday family situation, 32B explores communication, parent-child relationships and the social attitudes surrounding conversations about sensitive subjects. The film also highlights the importance of fathers being able to communicate openly with their daughters as they navigate adolescence.
UNFPA Egypt, which supported the production, has described the film as an exploration of the evolving father-daughter relationship and a challenge to harmful social norms surrounding communication and adolescence.
The film made its Egyptian premiere earlier this year as the opening film of the 12th Alexandria Short Film Festival in April. The screening was followed by a discussion involving members of the cast and creative team, focusing on the potential role of cinema in encouraging families to address sensitive issues more openly.
32B has also continued to build recognition across the region and internationally. Following its Tribeca success, the film received a Silver Pearl at the 2026 International Film Festival for Children and Youth of Sousse in Tunisia.
Its upcoming HollyShorts screening adds another prominent international platform to the film’s growing festival profile. The 2026 festival programme spans narrative, documentary, animation, sports and music-video categories, providing filmmakers with opportunities for international exposure and industry recognition.
For Taher and his creative team, the HollyShorts selection represents another step in the film’s expanding international journey. From its world premiere and award at Tribeca to screenings across Egypt and Tunisia, 32B is gaining attention for combining humour and emotional storytelling with a culturally grounded exploration of family, adolescence and communication.
