El Gouna Film Festival: A Celebration of Cinema, Collaboration, and Cultural Exchange

Fri May 26, 2023

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El Gouna Film Festival: A Celebration of Cinema, Collaboration, and Cultural Exchange


Cannes, May 26, 2023


El Gouna Film Festival, under the leadership of Engineer Samih Sawiris had a strong presence at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.  Executive director Amr Mansi and Festival director Intishal Al Timimi along with the entire programming staff attended the festival.  


El Gouna Film Festival aims to foster connections among industry professionals and to promote the growth and diversity of Arab cinema on the international stage.  To that end, the festival held a series of events, beginning on Saturday, May 20th. The opening event was a cocktail reception hosted by Engineer Samih Sawiris on his yacht for numerous industry and media professionals and friends of the festival.


On Sunday, May 21, Engineer Sawiris hosted a lunch which brought together a constellation of talent including directors of international film festivals in the Arab region and directors and producers representing exceptional Arab films showcased at the Cannes Festival. This convergence of creative minds emphasized the power of collaboration and storytelling.  The day culminated in the world premiere of Goodbye Julia; an eagerly anticipated film directed by Mohamed Kordofani that played in the Un Certain Regard competition of the festival. After the screening, the film was celebrated by a party at O’Key Beach which lasted into the wee hours of the morning. The party was co-hosted by Mad Solutions, Red Star Production & Distribution, and El Gouna Film Festival.


Engineer Samih Sawiris, Founder of El Gouna, expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming response to the festival's activities at Cannes, stating, "We are thrilled to bring together industry professionals and creatives who share our passion for storytelling”.


Intishal Al Timimi, the festival’s Director stated that “El Gouna Film Festival aims to create an inclusive environment that showcases the immense talent of Arab cinema to the world.”

Amr Mansi, Executive Director of the GFF, shared his excitement about the festival's experience at Cannes, stating, “All of us at GFF were thrilled to be part of this opportunities for networking and collaboration among industry professionals, further promoting the growth and development of the Arab film industry."

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, especially through CineGouna Platform, an industry-oriented event created to empower Egyptian and Arab filmmakers and help them find artistic and financial support. CineGouna Platform presents the CineGouna SpringBoard and the CineGouna Bridge programs that provide opportunities for sharing and learning.


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