Stanza is the debut feature film of Egyptian-Canadian filmmaker, Marco Adly.

Our film tells a universal story about searching for belonging when you’re caught between two worlds. When Youhanna returns to his childhood home and finds it changed, he starts to wonder: does he still belong in Egypt? And if he doesn’t, where does he belong?

Through Youhanna’s encounters, which take him from the labyrinthine alleys of Old Cairo to the vast expanse of the Red Sea desert, he sees himself in a historical pattern of displacement: a never-ending human search for identity and belonging. In the end, he doesn’t find a simple answer but he comes to accept his identity in-between cultures. He finds solace in his relationship with the people and the places he is always leaving behind.

Learn more about our vision for the project here.

TIMELINE

Production is scheduled for May of 2026. We will shoot for three weeks in Cairo and one week back in Canada in Mississauga. Post-production will take place during the summer, from June to August. We will submit the film to international film festivals in the fall with an anticipated premiere of Winter 2027. 

Donation options:

We can’t adequately express how thankful we are for your support. But as a small token of our appreciation, we are able to offer the following perks for different donation tiers:

Donors of $1000+

You are an “Associate Producer” on the film! Receive an invitation to the festival premiere and subsequent local screenings.

Donors of $5,000+ 

You are an “Executive Producer” on the film! We’ll be personally in touch with you at every step of the process and you will receive an invitation to an early private donor screening in-person.

TEAM

Writer / Director:

Marco Adly (Cairo/New York)

Marco Adly is an Egyptian-Canadian filmmaker, currently based in New York City where he’s in the last year of the NYU Graduate Film program. 

He was born in Cairo and grew up in a suburb of Toronto. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Waterloo and has worked as a junior set designer on several studio TV shows. His short films Till the Dead and Back Home are currently on the festival circuit. His feature screenplay One Fine Morning was a finalist for the 2026 Sundance Screenwriter’s lab.

https://www.marcoadly.com/

Producers: 

Jack Auen (New York)

Jack Auen is an American filmmaker and producer originally from Baltimore, Maryland, now working out of New York City. He is the co-founder of the filmmaking collective and production company COSMIC SALON. His films have screened at various film festivals around the world including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films (co-presented by the Museum of Modern Art and Film at Lincoln Center), the Sarajevo Film Festival, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, and the Gijon Film Festival, among others.

His debut feature film, Chronovisor (2026), which he co-wrote/directed, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. He also produced The Projectionist (2026), written and directed by Alexandre Rockwell and Executive Produced by Quentin Tarantino, which will premiere as the opening night film at Slamdance Film Festival.

https://www.jackauen.com/

Aly Hegazy (Cairo)

Aly Hegazy is an Egyptian filmmaker born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt. He studied at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where he graduated in 2022 with a BFA in Film & Television and a Minor in Business of Entertainment Media.

He is currently working in Cairo alongside prestigious filmmakers Mohamed Diab & Sarah Goher. He was an Associate Producer on Sarah’s Tribeca-winning debut feature Happy Birthday (2025) which is Egypt’s Official submission to the 98th Academy Awards.