El Gouna Film Festival is pleased to announce the Call for Entries for its upcoming 5^th edition, scheduled to take place October 14-22, 2021 in the resort town of El Gouna. The deadline for receipt of submissions is August 15, 2021. Entry form and complete information regarding eligibility for submission can be found on the festival’s website.

GFF prepares its 5^th edition on the foundation of accomplishment and acclaim laid by the past 4 editions, representing the hard work of its team and volunteers as well as the support of Arab and international cinema professionals, media, and critics.

Festival Director Intishal Al Timimi commented, “Despite the enormous challenges presented by the covid-19 pandemic, our festival became the first public cultural event to be held in the MENA region during these trying times. We remain committed to making our 5^th edition a hub for the most attractive and powerful cinematic productions.”

GFF secures its place as an artistic leader in the region, with steadily growing support from the cinematic community and film industry professionals. Year after year, the festival witnesses a  growing number of film submissions. These films, together with others selected from international festivals, enable the programming team to curate a unique cinematic selection that is the cornerstone of the festival’s success and its growing impact.

GFF’s rich program is divided into the Feature Narrative Competition, the Feature Documentary Competition, the Short Film Competition, the Official Selection out of Competition and Special Presentations. This year GFF will also introduce a special award for environmental films to be included in its US $234,000 total cash prize.

Artistic Director Amir Ramses added, “5 years and nearly 300 films shaped our special bond with the filmmakers and audiences. I think that today our program left its mark, in the region and around the world, by constantly attracting the finest internationally acclaimed films and prospective cinematic productions and talented voices; reaffirming our role in supporting the industry, even during the challenging times we faced in 2020. We are eager to continue our journey by presenting a distinguished film selection in our forthcoming edition.”

The past 4 editions of GFF witnessed the presence of prestigious industry professionals  as jury members of the festival’s 3 main competitions, including Deborah Young, Osama Fawzy, Nelly Karim, Carlo Chatrian, Kamel Al Basha, Khairy Bechara, Nashen Moodley, Moussa Touré, Resul Pookutty, Marwan Hamed, Peter Weber, Asser Yassin, Ali Fazal, and Raja Amari.

GFF will continue to host the FIPRESCI as well as NETPAC juries. For the second year, GFF will present the Khaled Bichara Award for Egyptian Independent Filmmakers. The award, which was inaugurated during the 4^th edition of GFF, aims to commemorate the name of the late Khaled Bichara as a pre-eminent example for leaders and thinkers.                                                                

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 its industry arm, CineGouna Platform.