The El Gouna Film Festival opens on Thursday, October 15, and runs until October 23. The official festival guide reveals how the ninth edition will unfold. Here is what to know if you are planning a visit.
A Festival About Memory
This year’s theme is Archiving Narratives. The festival treats cinema as a record of who we were and who we imagine becoming. Four pillars shape the theme: The Living Archive, Archives in Every Tense, Archives Under Fire, and Everyone Is an Archivist. In addition, panels, workshops, screenings, and installations will explore the idea. The theme also extends the festival’s Cinema for Humanity mission and leads into the tenth edition in 2027.
Opening Week and Red-Carpet Nights
The official opening film is Marc Fitoussi’s All About Corinne on Friday, October 16 at 7 PM. At 9:30 PM, Rakan Mayasi’s Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep follows with a red carpet. Evening screenings at Festival Plaza then continue through the week. For example, Saturday brings The Return of Captain Kabonga and Fjord. Sunday offers Only Rebels Win and Boomah. Monday features Big Boys Don’t Cry, and Tuesday features Safe Exit and Spring in Imroz. The guide lists a Thursday evening screening of Hope at 8:30 PM.
Two Career Achievement Awards
The festival honours two figures. Mona Zaki has more than 80 credits across film, television and theatre. She also co-founded HerStory Films, which develops projects by women writers and directors. Her masterclass, “Beyond Stardom,” takes place on October 16 from 3 PM to 5 PM.
Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi receives the second award. His debut feature, A Thousand Months, won two prizes at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2003. His masterclass, “Building a Cinematic World,” follows on October 22. In addition, tributes honour Mohamed Khan and Roberto Rossellini. Khan’s A Dinner Date and The Street Player will screen, as will Rossellini’s Paisan and Rome Open City.
What to Watch
The competitions are larger than first announced. The guide lists 13 narrative features, 11 documentaries and 19 short films. Pawel Pawlikowski’s Fatherland and Markus Schleinzer’s Rose compete alongside Arab titles such as Boomah, Halima, Pipes and Safe Exit. Meanwhile, documentaries include Citizen Osama, Who Killed Alex Odeh? and American Doctor.
Outside the competition, the selection includes Yellow Letters, All of a Sudden and Queen at Sea. Special presentations add Mohammad Rasoulof’s Sense of Water and Yousry Nasrallah’s Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story. Two awards also reward themes. The Cinema for Humanity Audience Award carries $20,000, and the Green Star Award carries $10,000.
Talks and Masterclasses
The CineGouna Forum fills the days between screenings. Masterclasses feature Mohammad Mashish, Lukas Ettlin, Yousry Nasrallah and Joanna Hogg. Panels include “The Actor’s Choice” on October 17 with Amina Khalil, Salma Abu Deif, Amir El Masry, Aseel Omran and Yasmina El Abd. Another panel looks at the impact campaign for The Voice of Hind Rajab. One lighter session, on October 22, debates the best appearance of a car in cinema. Note that only badge holders can attend Forum events.
Behind the Scenes
CineGouna Funding selected 19 projects from more than 310 submissions across 11 Arab countries. Platform awards include $15,000 in cash for projects in development and in post-production. The Sawiris Foundation also offers EGP 1.5 million for an Egyptian project. In addition, CineGouna Series launches with six projects chosen from more than 125 submissions. Meanwhile, Safe Harbour MENA brings four displaced filmmakers to El Gouna. CineGouna Emerge selected 150 participants from nearly 1,000 applications.
Beyond El Gouna
GFF also partners with Zawya Cinema in Cairo for a fourth year. Seven festival films will play there at 7 PM. They include Fatherland, American Doctor, Mariinka, Pipes, Rose, and Citizen Osama.
