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Exploring Culture Through Animation with Story Xperiential Alum
Malak Khaled is an Egyptian storyboard and multimedia artist, and animator based in the United Arab Emirates. She graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2022, where she studied Multimedia Design. Her work has revolved around storytelling, particularly through animation, film, motion design and illustration. She's always been drawn to stories that explore identity, culture, and the feeling of belonging, especially from the perspective of growing up between different cultures. Animation has become a way for her to explore these ideas while also combining many of the things she loves.
How did you hear about Story Xperiential and what was the greatest takeaway from working on your Story Xperiential project?
I discovered Story Xperiential after graduating from university and was immediately drawn to the idea of developing a story from its earliest stages and developing my skills as a story artist. The biggest takeaway for me was learning how much a story can evolve through collaboration. You start with an idea that exists mostly in your head, and through feedback, writing, and visual development it slowly becomes something much more concrete. It taught me to be more open to other perspectives and to trust the creative process rather than becoming too attached to the first version of an idea.
What is your animated film about?
My film is called Ana Fein W Geit Menein, which roughly translates to “Where Am I and Where Did I Come From?” in Egyptian Arabic. It follows King Unas II, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who is teleported thousands of years into the future. He suddenly finds himself in modern-day Egypt and has to make sense of a world that looks completely unfamiliar to him; from the language and traditions to the people and places around him.
Poster for Ana Fein W Geit Menein Malak working on a digital drawing of an Egyptian man. Poster for Ana Fein W Geit Menein
The film is a light-hearted and comedic adventure, but underneath that is a story about identity, belonging, and the strange feeling of being disconnected from a place that is supposed to be home. It’s also my way of looking at Egypt through the eyes of someone who feels both deeply connected to it and, at times, like an outsider.
What motivated you to create this film? Why now? Why you?
The idea came from my own experiences as an Egyptian who grew up away from my home country. I’ve always been interested in that feeling of being connected to a culture while simultaneously feeling slightly removed from it. Especially when it comes to language, traditions, and how you relate to your own history. I wanted to explore that feeling through something fun and distinctly Egyptian.
Instead of telling a very serious story about identity, I thought it would be much more interesting to put an ancient Egyptian pharaoh in modern Egypt and let him experience the same kind of cultural confusion that I sometimes feel. I also wanted to challenge myself creatively. I had worked on animation and storytelling before, but I had never created a film of my own from beginning to end. After graduating, I felt like it was time to take everything I had learned and actually make something with it.
How did you assemble your team to work on the film?
The film was created collaboratively with Rana Saleh, who I originally worked with during my university years. We shared the writing, storyboarding, animation, and background design, while bringing in other talented people for areas such as sound design, music, voice acting, and color. Because animation is such a time-consuming process, having people who genuinely cared about the story and were willing to contribute their time and creativity was incredibly important. A lot of new creative connections were made through this film and I’m immensely grateful for it.
How did you decide which festivals to enter your film into?
We started by looking for festivals that specifically supported animation, short films and independent filmmakers. We also looked at festivals that had previously screened films with a similar style or cultural focus. Since this was our first film, we wanted to get it in front of as many different audiences as possible, while also finding festivals where the film felt like it genuinely belonged. The festival process has been a learning experience in itself. We were lucky enough to have the film selected for festivals and even receive awards, which was incredibly encouraging, especially after spending so much time working on the film, independently.
What advice would you give someone wanting to create their own animated film?
Just start. I think it’s very easy to become intimidated by how much work animation requires. Writing, storyboarding, designing, animating, coloring, backgrounds, sound etc. Every stage can feel like a huge project on its own. My biggest advice would be to break the process down into smaller steps and focus on finishing rather than trying to make everything perfect from the beginning. Also, find people you trust to work with. Animation can be a very lonely process, especially when you’re working on something for years, so having collaborators who can share the workload, give you feedback, and keep you motivated makes a huge difference. And most importantly, make something that you genuinely care about. That personal connection is what will keep you going when the production inevitably gets difficult.
What are your plans for the future?
I’d like to continue developing my practice as a storyteller, while exploring different forms of visual storytelling across animation, film, games, and illustration. For Ana Fein W Geit Menein, we’re currently continuing its festival journey and looking for opportunities to share it with wider audiences. I’d also love to develop more original stories rooted in Egyptian culture and experiences, while experimenting with different animation styles and techniques. Long-term, I hope to keep creating work that feels personal and meaningful, while also collaborating with other artists and contributing to the growing animation and creative scene in the region.
View the video: Ana Fein W Geit Menein Malak's portfolio: Malak Khaled Malak's Story Xperiential project: I'll Remember Your Lullaby
You can follow the film on Instagram: anafeinwgeitmenein
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