The El Gouna Film Festival closed its ninth edition on Friday, October 23. Mohammed Hammad’s Safe Exit won the Golden Star for Best Feature Film. Rakeen Saad took Best Actress for Boomah. Meanwhile, the final two days combined panels, music, and a ceremony full of tributes.
Day Eight: Masterclass, Panels, and Discussions
Thursday, October 22, began with Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi’s masterclass, Building a Cinematic World. At 1 PM, the Egypt Exports Laughter panel followed in the CineGouna Theater. Khaled Diab, Dina El Sherbiny, and Ahmed Dessouki joined it, with Heba Youssry moderating.
Day Nine: The Closing Ceremony
The ceremony opened with the national anthem. Then Yasmina El Abd and Mohamed El Sharnouby performed “Sidi Ya Sidi,” the festival’s official song, joined by attendees. Menna El Kiey wrote it, and Ahmed Tarek Yehia composed it.
The Winners: Features
Safe Exit won the $50,000 Golden Star. It follows a young Coptic security guard in Cairo confronting trauma rooted in religious violence. Yukiko Sode’s All the Lovers in the Night took the Silver Star and $25,000. Ali Asgari’s A Little Light won the Bronze Star.
Individual performances also won awards. Jovan Ginić took Best Actor for 3 Weeks After. Jordanian actress Rakeen Saad won Best Actress for Zaid Abu Hamdan’s Boomah. In addition, Rakan Mayasi’s Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep won Best Arab Narrative Film and $20,000. The jury gave a special mention to Yassine El Idrissi’s Halima.
The Winners: Documentaries and Shorts
Ahmed Hassouna’s Citizen Osama won the Documentary Golden Star and Best Arab Documentary. It follows a Gaza photojournalist balancing his work with family life. Dongnan Chen’s Whispers in May took the Silver Star, and Rasha Shirazi’s A War on Women took the Bronze Star.
In the short film competition, Anders Davidsen’s Stolen Memories won the $15,000 Golden Star. Rudy Dextre’s Nobody Knows the World took the Silver Star, and Jad Shaheen’s The Malignant took the Bronze. Marie-Rose Osta’s One Day Born won Best Arab Short Film. Omar Rammal’s Kentucky Gaza received a special mention.
Two further awards recognised values. Audiences gave the $20,000 Cinema for Humanity Audience Award to American Doctor. The $10,000 Green Star Award went to Nuisance Bear, for its environmental focus.
Tributes and a Creative Achievement Award
Yousry Nasrallah presented Faouzi Bensaïdi with the Creative Achievement Award. Bensaïdi recited part of a Mahmoud Darwish poem. The ceremony also paid tribute to artists who died, including singer Hany Shaker and actress Kitty. Singer Mona Aziz performed songs linked to the late composer Hany Shenouda. Finally, Palestinian producer Rashid Masharawi honored those killed in Gaza, including journalists.
A Cause on Screen
The festival’s Eish initiative also announced a winner earlier in the week. Fares El Tabey won the third edition of the short-film competition with his concept, Between Two Shores. The World Food Program, GFF and Zest run the competition, and the winning concept receives seed funding. The first edition’s winner, Khufu, later won the Silver Leopard at Locarno.
Looking Back
This year’s program featured 77 films from 69 countries, including 16 late additions. The theme, Archiving Narratives, ran through panels, tributes and screenings. Next year, El Gouna Film Festival will reach its tenth edition.
