Adolf El Assal
| Adolf El Assal | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 April 1981 Alexandria, Egypt |
| 🏡 Residence | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Egyptian / Luxembourgish |
| 🏳️ Citizenship | Egypt / Luxembourg |
| 🏫 Education | Kingston University |
| 💼 Occupation | Film director, producer |
| 📆 Years active | 2003–present |
| Notable work | Les Fameux Gars (2014), Sawah (2019) |
Adolf El Assal (born 1981) is an Egyptian–Luxembourgish film director and producer. He directed the feature films Reste Bien, Mec! (2009), Les Fameux Gars (2014) and Sawah (2019), and has worked as a producer or co-producer on internationally released films including Pamfir (2022), Kanaval (2023) and The Witness (2024). His work spans feature film, television and short-form production, often produced as cross-border collaborations between Europe and the Middle East.
El Assal participated in the Berlinale Talents programme in 2006 and again in 2023, is a graduate of the EAVE..[1] and Screen Leaders training initiatives, and is a member of the European Film Academy[2] and Directors UK. He is currently based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates[3]
Early life and education
El Assal was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1981 and spent parts of his childhood in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg. He began working with film in 2003, when he shot his first documentary and later contributed short-form nonfiction work to Channel 4 and Current TV in the United Kingdom. He studied at Kingston University in London, completing a degree in media and cultural studies followed by an MA in Filmmaking in 2008.
Between 2003 and 2010, El Assal directed more than one hundred music videos and promotional films, and in 2006 he worked as an editor for the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) in Dubai. He was selected for Berlinale Talents in 2006, took part in the Cannes Film Festival Youth Jury the same year and attended Werner Herzog’s Rogue Film School workshop in Los Angeles.
His early feature work included producing the Ugandan film Divizionz (2008), which screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, and directing the micro-budget Luxembourgish feature Reste Bien, Mec! (2009). He later directed the short films La Fameuse Route… and Mano de Dios (both 2010), which screened at a number of international film festivals.
Career
Early work
From 2003 to 2010, El Assal directed more than one hundred music videos and commercials. In 2006 he worked as an editor for MBC in Dubai and was selected for the Berlinale Talents programme[4], the Cannes Film Festival Youth Jury and Werner Herzog’s Rogue Film School workshop in Los Angeles.
His first feature credit as a producer was Divizionz (2008)[5], which was selected for the Berlin International Film Festival[6] and screened at over 100 festivals worldwide.
El Assal’s first narrative feature as director, Reste Bien, Mec! (2009)[7], was produced on a micro-budget and released locally in Luxembourg. In 2010 he directed the short films La Fameuse Route…[8] and Mano de Dios (God’s Hand), both of which went on to win festival awards. Mano de Dios later screened at festivals including Doha Tribeca Film Festival[9]
Features and television
In 2012 El Assal took part in the EAVE producers’ network, and in 2013 he attended a masterclass with Luc Besson.
His second feature Les Fameux Gars (released internationally as The Notorious Guys) was produced and directed by El Assal and released in Luxembourg in 2012, with wider digital distribution in French-speaking territories in 2014[10].
El Assal’s next feature, Sawah (2019)[11], is a comedy-drama following an Egyptian DJ stranded in Europe. The film had more than 100 festival selections and won over 30 awards[12], and later reached a broad audience through Netflix[13], where it appeared in top-ten lists in several territories.
In the same year he co-produced the children’s science-fiction film My Grandpa Is an Alien[14], a Croatian-led co-production that included Luxembourg’s Wady Films as one of seven producing partners.
El Assal later co-directed the Belgian comedy television series Baraki[15], directing five episodes of its first season. The series aired on Belgian public television and was later made available on Netflix[16] in France and Benelux, where it achieved strong viewing figures.
Alongside his directing work, El Assal has continued to make short films. Full Memory (2021)[17], about a Syrian refugee in Europe, was written and directed by El Assal and screened at the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai[18] and at the Arab Film Festival Rotterdam.
International co-productions
As a producer and co-producer, El Assal has been involved in several internationally recognised features:
- Pamfir (2022), directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, a Ukrainian–European co-production that premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
- Sharaf (2022), an adaptation of Sonallah Ibrahim’s novel, which screened at festivals including Carthage and Red Sea.
- Beanie (Kapa, 2022), billed as Slovenia’s first Christmas family film, co-produced with Luxembourg and other partners.
- Kanaval (2023), directed by Henri Pardo, a Canada–Luxembourg co-production produced in part by Wady Films and Wady Media. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won TIFF’s Amplify Voices Award for Best BIPOC Canadian Feature as well as the Air Canada Audience Award at Cinémania.
- The Witness (Shahed) (2024), directed by Nader Saeivar and written by Jafar Panahi, which premiered in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival and won the audience award.
- Arman & Elisa (2023), a Luxembourgish short directed by Kiyan Agadjani, produced by El Assal. The film won the Narrative Short award at the 2023 Austin Film Festival, qualifying it for the 2025 Academy Awards consideration.
More recent and upcoming projects credited to El Assal in producer roles include The Kiss of the Grasshopper (selected for the Berlin International Film Festival[19]), Child by Oscar-nominated director Cyrus Neshvad, and Les Baronnes[20] (all 2025).
Recognition
El Assal is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents, EAVE and Screen Leaders, and is a member of the European Film Academy and Directors UK. He has also served on festival juries and on Luxembourg’s selection committee for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
Selected Filmography
As Writer / Director
| Year | Title | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Reste Bien, Mec! | Feature film | Director, writer |
| 2010 | La Fameuse Route… | Short film | Director, writer |
| 2010 | Mano de Dios | Short film | Director, writer |
| 2014 | Les Fameux Gars (The Notorious Guys) | Feature film | Director, writer, producer |
| 2019 | Sawah | Feature film | Director, co-writer |
| 2021 | Full Memory | Short film | Director, writer |
| 2022 | Baraki | Television series | Directed 5 episodes |
As Producer
| Year | Title | Format | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Divizionz | Feature film | Co-producer |
| 2019 | My Grandpa Is an Alien | Feature film | Co-producer |
| 2021 | Beanie (Kapa) | Feature film | Co-producer |
| 2022 | Pamfir | Feature film | Co-producer |
| 2022 | Sharaf | Feature film | Co-producer |
| 2023 | Kanaval | Feature film | Co-producer |
| 2024 | The Witness | Feature film | Co-producer |
| 2024 | Arman & Elisa | Short film | Producer |
| 2025 | The Kiss of the Grasshopper | Feature film | Co-producer |
| 2025 | Child | Feature film | Executive Producer |
| 2025 | Les Baronnes | Feature film | Associate Producer |
References
- ↑ "Network". EAVE. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "Egypt's Adolf El Assal takes part in the Arab Film Festival Rotterdam with 'Full Memory' movie". EgyptToday. 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "Award-Winning Film Writer, Director & Producer". Adolf El Assal. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "Berlinale Talents - Adolf El Assal". Berlinale Talents. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ Divizionz (2007) - Reference view - IMDb. Retrieved 2026-01-06 – via www.imdb.com.
- ↑ "Divizionz". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ Reste Bien, Mec! (2009) - Reference view - IMDb. Retrieved 2026-01-06 – via www.imdb.com.
- ↑ "La Fameuse Route..."
- ↑ London, Tim Adler in (2010-09-26). "'Outside The Law' Opens Doha Tribeca". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "Comédie : « Les Gars », le pari VOD d'un Luxembourgeois culotté". Le Nouvel Obs (in français). 2013-09-09. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie. "Adolf El Assal lines up hi-jinks comedy 'Sawah' (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "Cineuropa Award: Sawah film makes Luxembourg shine in Shanghai". today.rtl.lu. 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie. "Netflix picks up Luxembourg-Egypt comedy 'Sawah'". Screen. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ My Grandpa Is an Alien (2019) - Reference view - IMDb. Retrieved 2026-01-06 – via www.imdb.com.
- ↑ "International Egyptian director Adolf El-Assal is preparing to launch the Belgian series Baraki | El-Shai". www.el-shai.com. 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "Baraki on Netflix | uNoGS". unogs.com. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ Reporter, Staff (2022-01-12). "Adolf El Assal's 'Full Memory' to participate in Dubai Expo 2020". BroadcastPro ME. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ Reporter, Staff (2022-10-18). "Adolf El Assal's production 'Pamfir' to compete at CIFF". BroadcastPro ME. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "Der Kuss des Grashüpfers | The Kiss of the Grasshopper". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ The Baronesses (2025). Retrieved 2026-01-06 – via letterboxd.com.
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