Sherief Elkatsha, Graduate of 1991, “CAC gave me a fantastic education inside and out of the classroom, and the friendships I made there would last my entire life. “ Sherif el Katsha, 2021.

Sherif ElKatsha, CAC Alum and class of 91’, shared with us his personal memories from his time at CAC. A person’s school impacts his personality, and plays an influential role forming their identities.  Elkatsha was born in the US, raised in Cairo and currently lives between Cairo and New York, with the goal of bridging the two cultures. 

He’s been working in film and television for the last 20 years, and currently editing his 3rd documentary feature about 12 musicians from different countries along the Nile River basin, on their US Tour.

Sherief attended CAC from 1980 to 1991. Living in Cairo during the 1980’s was an amazingly unique experience. “At CAC, we were diverse before we knew there was a term for it, from all over the world, and sometimes shocked to learn that the rest of the world was not always on the same page,” he explained. 

CAC teachers come from all over the world with a variety of stories and life experiences to share. “ I still fondly remember our sixth grade trip to Luxor, or reading the first few chapters of Moby Dick, floating on a felucca down the Nile in Kay Hamblin’s English class, or camping in the Bahareya oasis with the Yearbook and Ecology classes…The 24 hour marathon…the endless hours socializing on the high school field,” added Sherif.  As he grows older, CAC continues to be a part of his life as the experiences gained and the friendships and memories made are unforgettable.  

When asked about how his time here is still a part of his life, ElKatsha had this to say, “I continue to visit the theater where I performed in countless plays, directed with love and support by a mentor, Robert Marshall.  I was proud to come back to that same theater to screen my last documentary, Cairo Drive, and was inspired when I attended a recent NHS graduation ceremony.” “I am eternally grateful for the years I spent at CAC, and am inspired and encouraged as I meet the new faces and generations that continue to graduate from my alma mater,” Sherief added. 

In 2013 Elkatsha premiered his third feature documentary, Cairo Drive, awarded “The Best Film from the Arab World” - documentary competition, at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2013, Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC 2014.