El Gouna Film Festival (GFF), in conjunction with Orascom Development, has announced the specifics of its sixth edition. Egypt’s GFF has revealed the highlights of its upcoming edition, which will take place in El Gouna from October 13 to 20, 2023.
Speaking about the festival, Samih Sawiris, the founder of El Gouna, said: “The return of GFF and the determination of its continuation represent a top priority for me. Due to its purpose to bring happiness to the audience. And also for its vital mission that has been carried out since its inaugural edition in 2017, to become the most important cinema platform in the Middle East and to assert the value of the city of El Gouna as a unique tourist destination in the region.”
Naguib Sawiris added: “My initial belief in the importance of establishing a film festival with international standards proves its sincerity with GFF’s forthcoming sixth edition, the stability of its position as well as its essential role in the cultural life in Egypt and the support it offers to strengthen its situation in the Arab world.”
Amr Mansi stated: “We wanted to ease the coverage of the festival’s activities by creating the Festival Hub, which will be the venue for the industry-related events and the red carpet. Centralising all the activities of the CineGouna Platform at the Plaza can help to make it easier for the press and media to make a balanced coverage for all the festival’s events.”
The festival director revealed that the Jury of the Feature Narrative Competition would be led by Jasmila Žbanić, known for her film Quo Vadis, Aida? which received critical acclaim and award nominations.
Commenting on the significance of the upcoming El Gouna Film Festival, Omar El Hamamsy noted: “We are proud to partner with El Gouna Film Festival, bringing the prime cinematic event to the region for the sixth time. Our enduring commitment to exceptional arts and cultural events is an important way that we deliver on our customer promise to create vibrant towns in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Hosting Andermatt Music concerts at our world-class Concert Hall in Andermatt Swiss Alps and Opera Aida’s 150th anniversary in El Gouna are just a few examples of the premium local and global activities that harness the unique essence of each of our towns. This year’s GFF returns to El Gouna, our thriving coastal town by the Red Sea, with a remarkable lineup of films and a robust industry and events program.”
The conference unveiled new initiatives, including CineGouna Market, designed to connect content creators with potential buyers, distributors, and partners.
Additionally, GFF introduced CineGouna Emerge, a programme dedicated to students and first-time filmmakers, offering resources, guidance, promotion, and support to nurture young talents.
