ACCREDITATION FOR THE 7TH EDITION IS NOW OPEN
Over $350,000 in Awards for 16 Film Projects
CineGouna Funding, the platform of El Gouna Film Festival’s project development and co-production platform, announced the full list of winners of the program’s 9th edition, with total awards exceeding $350,000, in the form of financial and service support awards provided by El Gouna Film Festival and its prestigious sponsors.
CineGouna Funding jury, consisting of German Producer Dorothe Beinemeier, Egyptian director Nadine Khan, and Palestinian producer Hanna Atallah, and after consulting with the sponsoring companies, distributed 40 valuable awards to 16 out of 19 that competed in the program this year.
Amr Mansi, co-founder and CEO of El Gouna Film Festival, expressed his delight at the wide diversity of awards, saying: “The growing number of awards offered by our partners reflects the trust that GFF has earned within the film industry. These awards will support projects as they move toward completion in the best possible way. Combined with the newly introduced Egyptian Voices and Safe Harbour MENA programmes, GFF continues to enrich its ecosystem of opportunities for Arab filmmakers.”
Ahmed Shawky, Head of CineGouna Funding, spoke about the ninth edition, saying: “During this edition, the filmmakers of the participating projects held more than 140 individual meetings with companies, institutions, and international festivals taking part in the festival. Some of our sponsors decided to add further awards to the previously announced list, as a token of appreciation for the quality of the projects selected this year.”
Here is the full list of CineGouna Funding Awards 2026:
Cinegouna Platform Award $15,000 in cash for a project in development: Paradise Beach I France I Director: Zoulikha Tahar I Producer: Manon Messiant
Cinegouna Platform Award $15,000 in cash for a project in post-production: House No. 7 I Syria, Germany, Qatar I Director: Rama Abdy I Producer: Hazar Yazji
EGP 1.500.000 cash grant for an Egyptian project from Sawiris Foundation for Social Development: When I Close My Eyes, I See Your Eyes I Egypt, Belgium I Director: Sameh Alaa I Producer: Mark Lotfy
EUR 10,000 cash grant from The International Emerging Film Talent Fund (IEFTF): Lily's Makkah I Sudan, Egypt, Brazil, Germany I Director: Marwa Zein I Producer: Marwa Zein
$10,000 cash grant from Pepsico: To the Core I Tunisia, France, Italy I Director: Mehdi M. Barsaoui I Producer: Habib Attia
$10,000 cash grant from Emirates NBD: Of Debt and Money I Tunisia I Director: Houssem Sansa I Producer: Houssem Sansa
$10,000 cash grant from Arab Radio & Television (ART): Shorrab I Saudi Arabia I Director: Emad Eskandar I Producer: Munthir Altuwayrib
$10,000 cash grant from Rotana Studios: Shorrab I Saudi Arabia I Director: Emad Eskandar I Producer: Munthir Altuwayrib
$10,000 cash grant from Gemini Africa: When I Close My Eyes, I See Your Eyes I Egypt, Belgium I Director: Sameh Alaa I Producer: Mark Lotfy
$7,000 cash grant from Big Bang Studios: Away From the Pack I Egypt I Director: Adel Ahmed Yehia I Producer: Sawsan Yusuf
$5,000 cash grant from El Adl Group Studios: Away From the Pack I Egypt I Director: Adel Ahmed Yehia I Producer: Sawsan Yusuf
$5,000 cash grant from El Adl Group Studios: When I Close My Eyes, I See Your Eyes I Egypt, Belgium I Director: Sameh Alaa I Producer: Mark Lotfy
$5,000 cash grant from Good Pictures: Waiting For Paradise I Egypt, Belgium, Sweden, Italy I Director: Mohamed Siam I Producer: Mohamed Siam
$5,000 cash grant from Good Pictures: The Gift of Blindness I Germany, USA I Director: Ibrahim Nash'at I Producer: Elijah Stevens & Ibrahim Nash'at
$5,000 cash grant from Chiaroscuro Film Production: Waiting For Paradise I Egypt, Belgium, Sweden, Italy I Director: Mohamed Siam I Producer: Mohamed Siam
$5,000 cash grant from Chiaroscuro Film Production: Of Debt and Money I Tunisia I Director: Houssem Sansa I Producer: Houssem Sansa
$5,000 cash grant from Filmology: Printemps I France, Lebanon I Director: Noel Keserwany I Producer: Michelle Keserwany
$5,000 cash grant from Rise Studios: Arabs of Maadi I Egypt I Director: Ayten Amin I Producer: Louay Khraish
$5,000 cash grant from Red Sea Fund hand-picked projects: Printemps I France, Lebanon I Director: Noel Keserwany I Producer: Michelle Keserwany
$5,000 cash grant from Kurdistan Film Commission: Besso I Iraq I Director: Muslim Habeeb I Producer: Huda Al Kadhimi & Muna Al Kadhimi
$5,000 cash grant from Kader Project: Shorrab I Saudi Arabia I Director: Emad Eskandar I Producer: Munthir Altuwayrib
$5,000 cash grant from Rank Studios: Mina I Lebanon I Director: Marie-Rose Osta I Producer: Alaa Alasad & Marie-Rose Osta
$5,000 cash grant from Sard: House No. 7 I Syria, Germany, Qatar I Director: Rama Abdy I Producer: Hazar Yazji
Up to $50,000 as MG for sales and distribution from MAD Solutions: Printemps I France, Lebanon I Director: Noel Keserwany I Producer: Michelle Keserwany
$12,000 worth of full DCP Package services from Shift Studios: Away From the Pack I Egypt I Director: Adel Ahmed Yehia I Producer: Sawsan Yusuf
$12,000 worth of full DCP Package services from Shift Studios: Lily's Makkah I Sudan, Egypt, Brazil, Germany I Director: Marwa Zein I Producer: Marwa Zein
$12,000 worth of full promotion package services from Shift Studios: When I Close My Eyes, I See Your Eyes I Egypt, Belgium I Director: Sameh Alaa I Producer: Mark Lotfy
$12,000 worth of full promotion package services from Shift Studios: Arabs of Maadi I Egypt I Director: Ayten Amin I Producer: Louay Khraish
$10,000 worth of color grading services from Big Bang Studios: Waiting For Paradise I Egypt, Belgium, Sweden, Italy I Director: Mohamed Siam I Producer: Mohamed Siam
$7,000 worth of post-production services from Big Bang Studios: Lily's Makkah I Sudan, Egypt, Brazil, Germany I Director: Marwa Zein I Producer: Marwa Zein
$5,000 worth of post-production services from Rank Studios: Ibrahim's Voice I France, Tunisia I Director: Yann Rabanier I Producer: Sophie Roudaut
$5,000 worth of Script Development Services from Sard: To the Core I Tunisia, France, Italy I Director: Mehdi M. Barsaoui I Producer: Habib Attia
$5,000 worth of Script Development Services from A.A. Films: Waiting For Paradise I Egypt, Belgium, Sweden, Italy I Director: Mohamed Siam I Producer: Mohamed Siam
$5,000 worth of Script Development Services from A.A. Films: Paradise Beach I France I Director: Zoulikha Tahar I Producer: Manon Messiant
$5,000 worth of Script Development Services from Kader Project: The Sacred Thirst I Swaziland I Director: Hamda Dhaouadi I Producer: Aida Schlaepfer Alhassani
$5,000 worth of sound services from The Sound of Egypt: The Sacred Thirst I Swaziland I Director: Hamda Dhaouadi I Producer: Aida Schlaepfer Alhassani
$5,000 worth of sound services from The Sound of Egypt: Arabs of Maadi I Egypt I Director: Ayten Amin I Producer: Louay Khraish
An Online Invitation to TFL NEXT from Torino Film Lab & IEFTF: Printemps I France, Lebanon I Director: Noel Keserwany I Producer: Michelle Keserwany
Invitation to Durban Film Mart: Lily's Makkah I Sudan, Egypt, Brazil, Germany I Director: Marwa Zein I Producer: Marwa Zein
One-Year Free Membership to Documentary Association of Europe (DEA): The Sacred Thirst I Swaziland I Director: Hamda Dhaouadi I Producer: Aida Schlaepfer Alhassani