Since its inception, cinema has always been driven by independent filmmakers who constantly push the industry boundaries. From the genius of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, to Egyptian film pioneers like Aziza Amir, Mohamed Karim or Togo Mizrahi, it has always been the individualistic spirit that led the way.

As a tribute to the free thinkers who never shied from challenges in pursuit of their dreams against all odds, El Gouna Film Festival is proud to announce the Khaled Bichara Award for Egyptian Independent Filmmakers. The award aims to maintain the late Khaled Bichara’s legacy of faith in those who dare to think outside the box.

Regarding the announcement of the award, Engineer Samih Sawiris, founder of El Gouna, commented: “We are beyond grateful for the efforts of the late Khaled Bichara. His loss was a real shock on both personal and business levels! In an attempt to honour Khaled’s memory and in recognition of his great efforts and passion for supporting innovators and entrepreneurs in every way possible, we are honoured to announce the Khaled Bichara Award for Egyptian Independent Filmmakers. We hope that it can repay even a fraction of his invaluable contributions to Orascom Development, El Gouna city, and El Gouna Film Festival.”

The Bichara family commented “It’s our pleasure to dedicate this award to the underdogs, the outliers. The ones who solve insurmountable problems with grit, innovation and creativity instead of muscle and resource and status quo. We dedicate this award to the entrepreneurs of the movie industry, an embodiment to what Khaled stood for and supported all his career.”

The Khaled Bichara Award for Egyptian Independent Filmmakers will be presented annually amongst the main El Gouna Film Festival awards, inaugurated at this year’s awards ceremony.

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.