Youhanna, a young Egyptian architect living abroad, returns to Cairo for the first time in ten years. His attempt to reconnect with his roots while researching Coptic architecture leads him to confront how much both he and his home country have changed since he’s left.

Stanza is the NYU Graduate Thesis 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.

Music in crowdfunding video by Luc Cianfarani.

Help us bring Stanza to life!

We are seeking your support to help us make Stanza a reality. Our goal is to raise $25,000 USD for production.

Here’s how this money will be spent:

Transportation – $7,000

Food and accommodation – $5,500

Cast – $3,000

Local crew – $3,000

Equipment – $1,500

Post-production – $5,000

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.

Crew:

Writer / Director:

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. Learn more about Marco's work here .

Producers:

Jack Auen (New York):

Jack Auen is an American filmmaker and producer from Baltimore, Maryland. His short films have screened at prestigious film festivals around the world including the International Film Festival Rotterdam and New Directors / New Films (presented by the Museum of Modern Art and Film at Lincoln Center).

He is currently in post-production for two feature films, Chronovisor (2026), which he co-wrote/directed and will premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and The Projectionist (2026), which he produced (written and directed by Alexandre Rockwell and Executive Produced by Quentin Tarantino) and which will premiere as the opening night film at Slamdance Film Festival. Learn more about Jack's work here .

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.