Aya Meets Ghosts (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Aya Meets Ghosts follows a seven-year-old girl whose classmates and school community believe she is haunted by jinn. The 18-minute Arabic-language drama, written and directed by Doha Hamdy, centers on Aya’s unexpected struggle to survive social exclusion and a frightening mystery rooted in childhood belief.

Aya Meets Ghosts is a short Egyptian-French drama written and directed by Doha Hamdy. At its center is Aya, a seven-year-old primary school student placed in an unsettling situation when those around her decide she is haunted by jinn.

With a runtime of 18 minutes, the film focuses on childhood, exclusion and the tension between ordinary school life and supernatural belief. Its Arabic-language setting and suburban backdrop provide the context for Aya’s unexpected quest to survive.

Aya Meets Ghosts movie details

Story without spoilers

The film follows seven-year-old Aya after everyone at her primary school comes to believe that she is haunted by jinn. Facing exclusion and suspicion, she is pushed into an unexpected quest for survival. The story’s supplied themes include memory, sickness, myth and coming of age, all viewed through the experience of a child navigating an environment that no longer feels secure.

What to expect

Aya Meets Ghosts is a compact drama built around a child confronting exclusion and a frightening belief held by her school community. Its premise combines realistic childhood pressures with myth and supernatural uncertainty, while the 18-minute runtime suggests a tightly focused narrative rather than an expansive story. The film’s listed keywords also point to questions of memory, sickness and life in the suburbs.

Cast and creative team

Doha Hamdy writes and directs Aya Meets Ghosts. Sila Sharaf Eldeen plays Aya, with Daniel Tanielian as Mahfouz. The supporting cast includes Reem Hejab, Youhanna Nagy as Teacher 1 and Ahmed Khalil Ali as Teacher 2.

• Reem Hejab
• Sila Sharaf Eldeen as Aya
• Daniel Tanielian as Mahfouz
• Youhanna Nagy as Teacher 1
• Ahmed Khalil Ali as Teacher 2

Release and production context

Aya Meets Ghosts is a 2026 production from Egypt and France. It is listed as released on October 19, 2026, and has an 18-minute runtime. The film is in Arabic and is produced by Dewberries Films and Slit Lamp Films (EG).

Production companies: Dewberries Films, Slit Lamp Films (EG)

Movies Dock view

Aya Meets Ghosts presents a concise coming-of-age premise shaped by fear, exclusion and the power of myth in a child’s world. With Doha Hamdy handling both the writing and direction, the short drama places Aya’s experience at the center of its story without revealing how her quest unfolds.

Film data:
TMDB