CAIRO — Middle Eastern countries from Egypt to Lebanon have lined up their candidates for the Academy Awards for best foreign language film, hoping that their young directors and cast of first-timers can bring home the coveted prize.

“The young cineastes of the region have courage and innovation that makes them come up with unique ideas for successful movies,” Ismail Sonaa, the founder of Egypt’s Ismail Sonaa blog on movies, told Al-Monitor. If the young directors pull off a few international awards in 2019, it may mark the beginning of a youth revolution in Middle Eastern cinema, he said.

Egypt and Lebanon have particularly high hopes for this year’s Academy Awards. Both countries' official nominations for best foreign film have already been tested before international audiences: “Capernaum” by Lebanese director and writer Nadine Labaki and “Yomeddine” (“Judgement Day”) by Egyptian director and writer Abu Bakr Shawky were screened at the Cannes Festival in May, getting positive reviews and, in the case of Yomeddine, the Francois Chalais Prize. 

Labaki, who has directed and written four films including "Caramel," is part of a new generation of young directors in Lebanon. She collaborated with young writers Jihad Hojeily and Michelle Keserwany on the film, which tells the story of 12-year-old Zein, who takes his parents to court for giving him life in a world of pain and suffering. The film stars a number of new actors such as Kawthar al-Haddad and Fadi Yousef, who make their first appearances in the world of cinema.