Salah Abu Seif (Arabic: صلاح أبو سيف‎‎, Ṣalāḥ Abū Sayf) (May 10, 1915 – June 23, 1996) was one of the most famous Egyptian film directors. He is considered to be the godfather of the realistic cinema in Egypt. Many of the 41 films he directed are considered Egyptian classics.
Salah Abu Seif is the most Egyptian director to direct films adapted from Arabic novels and short stories (17 films), his film Bidaya wa nihaya (1960) was the first film adapted from a novel written by Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz.
He is also credited as Salah Abu Saif, Salah Abou Seif or Salah Abouseif. In 1977 he was a member of the jury at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival.

Early life

Salah Abu Seif was born in the Boulaq quarter, in Cairo, Egypt.

Awards

• Mughamarat Antar wa Abla (1948) nominated for “Grand Prize of the Festival” at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival
• Al-Wahsh (1954) nominated for “Grand Prize of the Festival” at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival
• Shabab Emraa (1956) nominated for “Golden Palm” at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival
• Al-Fetewa (1957) nominated for “Golden Berlin Bear” at Berlin Film Festival
• Bidaya wa Nihaya (1960) nominated for “Grand Prix” at the 2nd Moscow International Film Festival
• Al-Saqqa Mat (1977) won “Best Film of the Year” at Egyptian Film Association
• Al-Qadisiya (1981) nominated for “Golden Prize” at the 12th Moscow International Film Festival
• Al-Moaten Masry (1991) nominated for “Golden St. George” at the 17th Moscow International Film Festival

• “2nd Moscow International Film Festival (1961)”. MIFF. Retrieved 2012-11-04. 
• “12th Moscow International Film Festival (1981)”. MIFF. Retrieved 2013-01-25. 
• “17th Moscow International Film Festival (1991)”. MIFF. Retrieved 2013-03-02. 

Frequent collaborators

• Faten Hamama
• Omar Sharif
• Salah Mansour

Filmography

Notable films

• Lak Yawm Ya Zalem (Your Day Will Come) – 1951 لك يوم يا ظالم
• Raya wa Sekina (Raya and Sekina) – 1953 ريا وسكينة
• Al-Wahsh (The Monster) – 1954 الوحش
• Shabab Emraa (A Woman’s Youth) – 1956 شباب إمرأة
• Al-Fetewa (The Tough) – 1957 الفتوة
• Ana Hurra (I Am Free) – 1959 أنا حرة
• Bayn Al-Samaa Wa Al-Ard (Between Heaven and Earth) – 1959 بين السماء والأرض
• Bidaya wa nihaya (A Beginning and an End) – 1960 بداية ونهاية
• Al-Kahira 30 (Cairo 30) – 1966 القاهرة 30
• Al-Zawga al-Thaniya (The Second Wife) – 1967 الزوجة الثانية
• Al-Saqqa Mat (The Water-Carrier Is Dead) – 1977 السقا مات

Complete filmography

• Dayman fi Qalbi (Always in My Heart) – 1946 دايماً في قلبي
• Al-Muntaqim (The Avenger) – 1947 المنتقم
• Mughamarat Antar wa Abla (The Adventures of Antar and Abla) – 1948 مغامرات عنتر وعبلة
• Sharia al-Bahlawan (Street of the Acrobat) – 1948 شارع البهلوان
• Al-Sakr (The Falcon) – 1950 الصقر
• Al-Hob Bahdala (Love is a Problem) – 1951 الحب بهدلة
• Lak Yawm Ya Zalem (Your Day Will Come) – 1951 لك يوم يا ظالم
• Al-Osta Hassan (Foreman Hassan) – 1952 الأسطى حسن
• Raya wa Sekina (Raya and Sekina) – 1953 ريا وسكينة
• Al-Wahsh (The Monster) – 1954 الوحش
• Shabab Emraa (A Woman’s Youth) – 1956 شباب إمرأة
• Al-Fetewa (The Tough) – 1957 الفتوة
• Al-Wessada al-Khalia (The Empty Pillow) – 1957 الوسادة الخالية
• La Anam (Sleepless) – 1957 لا أنام
• Mugrem fi Agaza (Criminal on Holiday) – 1958 مجرم في إجازة
• Al-Tarik al-Masdud (The Blocked Road) – 1958 الطريق المسدود
• Haza Howa al-Hob (This is the Love) – 1958 هذا هو الحب
• Ana Horra (I Am Free) – 1959 أنا حرة
• Bayn al-Samaa wa al-Ard (Between Heaven and Earth) – 1959 بين السماء والأرض
• Lawet al-Hob (Agony of Love) – 1960 لوعة الحب
• Al-Banat wa al-Saif (The Girls and the Summer) – 1960 البنات والصيف
• Bidaya wa nihaya (A Beginning and an End) – 1960 بداية ونهاية
• La Tutf’e al-Shams (The Sun Will Never Set) – 1961 لا تطفىء الشمس
• La Wakt lil Hob (No Time for Love) – 1963 لا وقت للحب
• Ressala Min Emraa Maghoula (Letter from an Unknown Woman) – 1963 رسالة من إمرأة مجهولة
• Al-Kahira 30 (Cairo 30) – 1966 القاهرة 30
• Al-Zawga al-Thaniya (The Second Wife) – 1967 الزوجة الثانية
• Al-Qadia 68 (The Case 68) – 1969 القضية 68
• Thalath Nessaa (Three Women) – 1969 ثلاث نساء
• Shia min al Azab (A Bit of Suffering) – 1969 شيء من العذاب
• Fajr al-Islam (Dawn of Islam) – 1971 فجر الإسلام
• Hammam al-Malatily (The Bathhouse of Malatily) – 1973 حمام الملاطيلي
• Al-Kadab (The Liar) – 1975 الكداب
• Sana Oula Hob (First Year Love) – 1976 سنة أولى حب
• Sakatat fi Bahr al-Asal (She Fell in the Honey Sea) – 1977 سقطت في بحر العسل
• Al-Saqqa Mat (The Water-Carrier Is Dead) – 1977 السقا مات
• Al-Mugrem (The Criminal) – 1978 المجرم
• Al-Qadisiya (The Qadisiya) – 1982 القادسية
• Al-Bidaya (The Beginning) – 1986 البداية
• Al-Moaten Masry (The Egyptian Citizen) – 1991 المواطن مصري
• Al-Sayed Kaaf (Mr. Kaaf) – 1994 السيد كاف

In the press

The best of Egyptian cinema , the best 15 best Egyptian films of all time