El Gouna, September 15, 2021: El
Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has always been committed to championing and
providing rising filmmakers with opportunities to perfect their
works-in-progress and scripts as well as giving them access to financial
support through its industry arm, CineGouna Platform (CGP).
Many of CineGouna Platform’s
selected films inspired conversations, garnered acclaim, and won prominence at
film festivals around the globe. In its upcoming 5th edition, the platform
continues its mission of aiding regional works through CineGouna SpringBoard,
its co-production and project development lab.
From its 2021 submissions, CineGouna Platform
has selected 20 projects—13 in development, 6 in post-production and 1 guest
project in post-production. The selection criteria were the projects’ content,
financial feasibility, and artistic concept.
A cash prize of $15,000 and a CineGouna Platform
certificate will be awarded to the best film in post-production and the best
project in development. The participating projects are also eligible to win
grants funded by GFF’s sponsors and partners.
El Gouna Film
Festival is delighted to announce the final selection list representing
the Arab world for the 5th edition of CineGouna Springboard.
Selected feature narrative projects in
development are A Quarter to Thursday in Algiers by Sofia Djama
(Algeria), Agora by Ala Eddine Slim (Tunisia), Aisha Can't
Fly Away Anymore by Morad Mostafa (Egypt), Happy Lovers
by Hicham Lasri (Morocco), My Father’s Scent by Mohamed
Siam (Egypt), The Blind Ferryman – Al Baseer by Ali
Al-Fatlawi (Iraq, Switzerland), The Sea Needs to Heave by Zain Duraie
(Jordan), and Weedestine by Said Zagha (Palestine, Jordan).
The selected feature documentary projects in
development are A Song for Summer and Winter by Talal Derki and
Ali Wajeeh (Syria), Fifty Meters by Yomna Khattab (Egypt), My
Fathers Killed Bourguiba by Fatma Riahi (Tunisia), Searching for
Woody by Sara Shazli (Egypt), and Women of My Life by
Zahraa Ghandour (Iraq).
The feature narrative films in
post-production are Hanging Gardens by Ahmed Yassin Al
Daradji (Iraq, Palestine), and Haysh Maysh: False Drama by Hicham
Lasri (Morocco).
The feature documentary films in post-production
are Abo Zabaal 1989 by Bassem Mortada (Egypt), Hyphen
by Reine Razzouk (Lebanon), Nothing About My Mother by Latifa
Doghri (Tunisia), and They Planted Strange Trees by Hind Shoufani
(Jordan).
And last but not least, the guest film in
post-production is Under the Fig Trees by Erige Sehiri (Tunisia).
The 5th edition of El Gouna Film
Festival will take place in El Gouna, October 14 – 22, 2021.
CineGouna Platform activities will run from October 16 to 21, 2021.
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