Orascom Development Holding at the forefront to facilitate the execution of a successful and exceptional edition

There is no doubt that the ongoing pandemic has impacted the festival circuit, just like it has the rest of the world. Many festivals have been cancelled or postponed, and those that are expected to take place have had to reimagine and restructure their strategies to adapt to the current circumstances. At GFF, the operations team is putting in place several plans that will ensure—first and foremost—the safety of all festival participants and guests.

As previously announced, the festival is now scheduled to take place from October 23 to 31, 2020. The GFF team is utilising the time gained to learn about the social distancing protocols and health and safety regulations issued by the authorities to be implemented during the period of the festival. GFF is also planning to create pleasant outdoor screening venues and equip them with state-of-the-art sound and projection systems. The opening and closing ceremonies and other key networking events will take place in large outdoor spaces, and less than half of the total capacity of the indoor cinemas will be used to insure social distancing. GFF is also working on enhancing its virtual capabilities so any guests who are not able to come to El Gouna will have the chance to participate in the festival online.

Following the recent announcements made, El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) continues to unveil new additions and changes in its leadership team and senior management during the 4^th edition of the festival. These changes underscore the festival’s commitment to explore new opportunities for growth that will enable it to make a useful contribution for the development of regional and international networks in the cinematic landscape.

Orascom Development Holding (ODH)—the mother company of GFF which has been associated with the festival since its inception—will play a bigger and more influential role in supporting and managing the event this year, under the auspices of El Gouna Founder, Engineer Samih Sawiris. GFF will continue to receive support by Festival Founder, Engineer Naguib Sawiris.

Gouna Conference and Culture Centre, the brainchild of Samih Sawiris and the new home of the festival, will host the traditional Cinema in Concert, that has now become a regular and much anticipated feature of GFF, as well as the red-carpet screenings and related events that used to be held at the Marina Theatre.

Samih Sawiris said: “We have always believed that art and culture are central to the development of society and should be an important part of the life of a city. The creative industries are the engine of national and regional growth, and we are firmly committed to supporting them and to building the cultural infrastructure that can fuel this growth. Along with my brother Naguib, I am proud of our association with GFF over the last three years.

The core team has been working diligently, preparing for this much-awaited edition, under the leadership of Festival Director, Intishal Al Timimi; Co-founder and Chief Operations and Foreign Relations Officer, Bushra Rozza; Artistic Director, Amir Ramses; and with Co-founder Kamal Zadeh acting as the Financial Advisor.

An executive committee has been formed to oversee the festival’s progress. The committee includes Amal El Masri, former CEO of J. Walter Thompson, who has been appointed as the General Coordinator of GFF and Festival Co-founder Amr Mansi who will act as an Executive Advisor, among other key members..

Amr Mansi commented on the importance of holding the festival this year to build on the success of the past three editions and joining forces with his colleagues to present the best 4^th edition, “This year represents a huge transition for GFF, and I am committed to offering my full support —in light of the current circumstances and challenging times.”

About El Gouna Film Festival

One of the leading festivals in the MENA region, GFF aims to showcase a wide variety of films for a passionate and knowledgeable audience, while fostering better communication between cultures through the art of filmmaking. Its goal is to connect filmmakers from the region with their international counterparts in the spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange. The festival is committed to the discovery of new voices and strives to be a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world.

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