Sherief Elkatsha was born in the U.S. and raised in Cairo, Egypt. He attended Boston University where he received a BA in Film Production. Elkatsha began his film and television career in the art departments of Jim Henson Productions and WGBH's Between the Lions. He continued in production, working on music videos for Wyclef Jean and the Roots, television shows for Comedy Central and Discovery Channel's Eco-Challenge. He has directed numerous short films in Egypt and the U.S. In 2006, he was selected for the Berlinale Talent Campus at the Berlin Film Festival. A smoker of 11 years, Elkatsha's first feature documentary, Butts Out, follows smokers and their struggles to quit. The film won Best Documentary at the New England Film and Video Festival and was an official selection at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Hollywood DV Festival.

Source:
www.itvs.org/films/shayfeencom/filmmaker