El Gouna Film Festival Launches Seed Fundings of EGP 8 Million in Partnership with

O West to Empower Emerging Filmmakers

In its sixth edition, occurring from December 14 to 21 in the coastal city of El Gouna, El Gouna Film Festival sustains its commitment to advancing the film industry.

Proudly unveiling a significant collaboration with O West, the festival introduces a groundbreaking Seed Fundings initiative, the first phase of a fund valued at EGP 8 Million. This initiative is dedicated to offering crucial financial support to Egyptian and Arab filmmakers, empowering them to embark on the development of their film projects.

The fund seeks to explore new cinematic voices that have crafted original stories by securing initial funding. Subsequently, filmmakers and producers can engage with institutions, producers, funding programs, and grants to obtain additional financial support.

Commenting on this game-changing initiative, Marianne Khoury, the Artistic Director of El Gouna Film Festival, stated, "This new initiative marks a crucial development phase for filmmakers with powerful and exceptional stories who aspire to showcase them to the world."

Khoury added, “The fund will support 10 film projects, with the first phase dedicated to developing full-length feature films and documentaries, and short films. This responds to the urgent need for producing original content and to keeping pace with the high demand from prominent entities in today's cinema industry.”

For his part, Amr Mansi, Co-Founder and Executive Director of GFF, expressed enthusiasm for the new initiative, saying, "El Gouna Film Festival’s platform has proven its success since its first year. Therefore, we aim to extend the festival's positive impact on the industry throughout the entire year, not just during the festival period." 

He added, "We are thrilled with O West's endorsement of our vision, supporting the initiative fund to finance film projects. O West will also host several panel discussions and workshops featuring Egyptian and Arab industry experts to elevate emerging cinema creators. Details of the fund and the selection process will be announced soon."

Finally, Intishal Al Timimi, Director of GFF, remarked, "When informed of this decision, I felt the same passion I experienced on the day we approved the initiation of the inaugural edition of El Gouna Film Festival and the establishment of El Gouna Film Platform. I sense the same enthusiasm as I witness the first brick of the film support fund being realized in El Gouna. I hope that this initiative becomes a cornerstone in the development of a greater number of cinematic projects for a new category, perhaps previously afforded limited opportunities."

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.