EL GOUNA FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS AN IMPRESSIVE LINEUP

Cairo, August 23, 2023

A blend of highly acclaimed and awarded works from established filmmakers and the films of the rising stars, in its 6th Edition

The Festival runs this year from October 27 to November 2, 2023.

GFF is thrilled to unveil the eagerly awaited first wave of films selected so far for its upcoming 6th edition. A lineup that, on one hand spotlights the artistry of renowned and established international filmmakers, while on the other hand, offers an exceptional selection of early works of emerging filmmakers from different parts of the world.

Talking about the motivation behind the selection of films for GFF#2023, Intishal Al Timimi, Festival Director, GFF said  “Our selection process was a journey of discovery and discernment. We sought, as always, films that resonate with authenticity, challenge conventional narratives, and spark conversations across cultures. Each film we have selected is a testament to the filmmaker's unique voice and perspective, embodying the essence of our festival's commitment to innovation, diversity, and the celebration of the art of cinema."

Marianne Khoury, Artistic director of El Gouna Film Festival added, "Even though I have recently joined GFF, I have known it since its inception. GFF has always strived to be a platform that celebrates the full spectrum of Cinema. With this lineup, we are not only paying homage to the masterful works of established filmmakers but also championing the voices that shape the future of our industry. This year's selections promise a cinematic journey that resonates with both the seasoned cinephiles and those eager to explore new horizons."

This selection represents a convergence of cinematic brilliance and the power of storytelling that transcends borders. Among the notable titles included in this showcase are Anatomy of a Fall, by Justine Triet, winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes; the 2023 Berlinale’s Golden Bear winning documentary On the Adamant by Nicolas Philibert and Guto Parente’s The Strange Path that swept  four  major awards at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

The line-up of films by acclaimed auteurs that we have selected so far include:

ANATOMY OF A FALL (ANATOMIE D'UNE CHUTE)  | JUSTINE TRIET | FRANCE
Feature Narrative                                                                                  
Sandra (Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann - 2016), a German writer, lives with her husband Samuel and their visually-impaired son Daniel in a remote mountain chalet in the French Alps. When Samuel falls to his death in mysterious circumstances, the investigation cannot determine whether it’s suicide or foul play.
Cannes 2023, Winner - Palme d'Or

THE BURITI FLOWER (CROWRA) | JOÃO SALAVIZA, RENÉE NADER MESSORA | BRAZIL
Feature Narrative                                                                                        
Through her child’s eyes, Patpro will go through three periods of the history of her indigenous people, in the heart of the Brazilian forest. Tirelessly persecuted, but guided by their ancestral rites, their love of nature and their fight to preserve their freedom, the Krahô never stop inventing new forms of resistance.
Cannes 2023, Winner - Un Certain Regard Ensemble Prize

THE ECHO (EL ECO) | TATIANA HUEZO | MEXICO, GERMANY
Feature Documentary                                                                                       
In the remote village of El Echo that exists outside of time, the children care for the sheep and their elders. While the frost and drought punish the land, they learn to understand death, illness and love with each act, word and silence of their parents.
Berlinale 2023, Winner Encounters Prize for Best Director and  Berlinale Documentary Award

MAY DECEMBER | TODD HAYNES | UNITED STATES
Feature Narrative                                                                                            
Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple,  Gracie (Julianne Moore) and  her husband Joe (twenty-three years her junior), buckles under the pressure when an actress, Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.
Cannes 2023, Competition

OBSCURE NIGHT - GOODBYE HERE, ANYWHERE (NUIT OBSCURE - AU REVOIR ICI, N'IMPORTE OÙ) | SYLVAIN GEORGES | FRANCE, SWITZERLAND
Feature Documentary                 
For many African migrants fleeing a difficult life, the Spanish enclave of Melilla, in Morocco, is an ideal spot from which to dream of a better future. With persistence bordering on obsession, the group of minors led by Malik - whom Sylvain George follows with equal levels of persistence, try to travel to Europe day after day, night after night – The film sets a gaze on these children daily existence rife with persistence, hope and painful utopias.
Locarno 2023, Special Mention International Competition, and «Environment is quality of life» Prize (Junior Jury Awards)

ON THE ADAMANT  (SUR L'ADAMANT) | NICOLAS PHILIBERT | FRANCE
Feature Documentary                                                                   
Located on the Seine in the heart of Paris, l’ Adamant is a boat that  welcomes adults suffering from mental disorders, offering them care that grounds them in time and space, and helps them keep up their spirit. There is a gentle and very happy sense of freedom and possibility aboard the Adamant, and there is enormous warmth, sympathy and human curiosity.
Berlinale 2023, Competition, Winner Golden Bear

THE SHADOWLESS TOWER  (BAI TA ZHI GUANG) | ZHANG LU | CHINA
Feature Narrative                                                                      
Gu Wentong, a middle-aged food critic, is drifting through the local eateries of vibrant Beijing with his younger photographer colleague Oyang. A divorcé with a 6 year-old daughter and estranged from his father for decades, he is looking for a new perspective on life while reconsidering his failings as a father, a son, and a lover.
Berlinale 2023; Beijing International Film Festival, Winner Best Artistic Contribution, Best Actor (Xin Baiqing), Best Supporting Actor (Tian Zhuangzhuang), Best Screenplay (Zhang Lü) and Best Cinematography (Piao Songri) awards…

A STRANGE PATH (ESTRANHO CAMINHO) | GUTO PARENTE | BRAZIL
Feature Narrative                                                                             
A young filmmaker returns to his hometown and attempts to reconnect with his father as the pandemic rapidly accelerates across Brazil. However, their relationship proves to be more complicated with increasingly bizarre phenomena occurring as they get closer.
Tribeca 2023, Winner  Best International Narrative Feature Award, Best Performance Award (Carlos Francisco), Best Screenplay Award, Best Cinematography Award (Linga Acácio)…

YOUTH (SPRING) | WANG BING | CHINA, FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG, NETHERLANDS
Feature Documentary                                                            
Filmed over six years, the master documentarian’s latest project follows the grueling working days of young garment factory laborers in China. But even in this slow-moving portrait of a grind, Wang Bing’s camera finds glimmers of hope.
Cannes 2023, Competition 

In this year’s selection GFF also proudly introduces an exceptional selection of first and second features that capture the essence of emerging voices in the industry. These films, originating from diverse corners of the world, have taken the festival circuit by storm, earning accolades and acclaim. Among the gems by emerging filmmakers that we have selected for the 6th edition are:

ALL TO PLAY FOR (RIEN A PERDRE) | DELPHINE DELOGET | FRANCE
Feature Narrative, Second Feature
Sylvie lives in Brest with her two children, Sofiane and Jean-Jacques. Together they form a tight, happy family. One night, Sofiane hurts himself in the apartment while his mother is out at work. The incident is reported and Sofiane is placed in foster care…
Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2023

DREAMING & DYING (HAO JIU BU JIAN) | NELSON YEO | SINGAPORE, INDONESIA
Feature Narrative, First Feature
Three middle aged friends reunite for the first time in years. Each of them sets out to confess unexpressed feelings but their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives threatens to resurface.
Locarno 2023, Winner Best Film (Filmmakers of the Present) and Best First Feature.

FAMILY PORTRAIT | LUCY KERR | UNITED STATES
Feature Narrative, First Feature
A sprawling family's futile attempts at capturing a family photo take a dreamlike turn when the matriarch vanishes, and one daughter becomes desperate to find her.
Locarno 2023, Filmmakers of the Present

IF ONLY I COULD HIBERNATE (BAAVGAI BOLOHSON) | ZOLJARGAL PUREVDASH | MONGOLIA, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND
Feature Narrative, First Feature
A poor but prideful teenage boy Ulzii is determined to win a Physics competition for a scholarship, but his mother finds a job in the countryside and has to leave him with his siblings in the middle of the harsh  winter to fend for themselves.
Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2023

LOST COUNTRY | VLADIMIR PERISIC | SERBIA, CROATIA, FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG
Feature Narrative, Second Feature
Serbia, 1996. During the student demonstrations against the Milosevic regime,  fifteen year-old  Stefan has to go through the hardest revolution of all. He has to confront his beloved mother (Jasna Duricic, Quo Vadis, Aida - 2020), spokesperson and accomplice of the corrupted government that his friends are rising against.
Critic's Week, Cannes 2023; Winner - Louis Roederer Foundation Prize for Revelation

SCRAPPER | CHARLOTTE REGAN | UNITED KINGDOM
Feature Narrative, First Feature
Georgie is a dreamy  twelve year-old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Out of nowhere, her estranged father (Harris Dickinson, Triangle of Sadness - 2022) turns up and forces her to confront reality.
Sundance 2023, Winner Grand Jury Prize

STEPNE | MARYNA VRODA | UKRAINE, GERMANY, POLAND, SLOVAKIA
Feature Narrative, First Feature
Set amidst stunning Ukrainian winter landscapes, vanishing villages, and emerging feelings of alienation between people in post-Soviet society, this remarkable debut film is the story of Anatoliy, a man who comes back home from the big city to take care of his dying mother.
Locarno 2023, Winner Best Director, International Competition

TOTEM | LILA AVILÉS | MEXICO, DENMARK, FRANCE
Feature Narrative, Second Feature
Seven-year-old Sol spends the day at her grandfather’s home, helping with the preparations for a surprise birthday party for her father. Throughout the day, chaos slowly takes over, fracturing the family’s foundations. Sol will embrace the essence of letting go as a release for existence.
Berlinale 2023, Winner Ecumenical Jury Prize; Hong Kong IFF, Winner Golden Firebird AwardYoung Cinema; Beijing IFF, Winner Best Director, Best Music…

WHISPERS OF FIRE & WATER | LUBDHAK CHATTERJEE | INDIA
Feature Narrative, First Feature
Shiva, an audio installation artist from Kolkata, visits the largest coal-mining region of Eastern India for his work. He struggles to find leads in his work, his woes getting aggravated as his own life gets intertwined with that in the mines.
Locarno 2023, Filmmakers of the Present

WHITE PLASTIC SKY (MÜANYAG ÉGBOLT) | TIBOR BÁNÓCZKI, SAROLTA SZABÓ | HUNGARY, SLOVAKIA
Feature Narrative, First Feature
2123. Faced with diminishing resources, the human race can only survive through a trade-off: at the age of  fifty every citizen is gradually turned into a tree. When Stefan discovers that his wife Nora has signed up to donate her body, he sets out to save her. (Animation Film)
Berlinale 2023,  Annecy International Animated Film Festival; Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films, Winner Special Mention...

This remarkable collection reflects the dynamic potential of new talent, redefining cinematic boundaries and engaging audiences. GFF’s commitment to nurturing the growth of promising filmmakers underscores its dedication to fostering innovation and celebrating the next generation of cinema.

We eagerly anticipate our annual cinematic rendez-vous this October.  Let us immerse ourselves in a world of captivating narratives, storytelling, and the camaraderie of film enthusiasts from around the globe.  We will honor the past, revel in the present, and ignite the spark for the future.

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. El Gouna Film Festival has gained a reputation for showcasing a diverse lineup of films from around the  world, including a strong emphasis on Arab cinema. The festival aims to promote and support the industry's growth in the region and provide a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work. The festival is also 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.