Intishal Al Timimi, founder and chief of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, is stepping down from the fest’s top leadership role.
Al Timimi had joined the festival when it launched in 2017 in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, 250 miles south of Cairo, and rapidly put the event on the international festival map, proving its mettle in promoting the cream of the region’s cinematic crop, while also providing key support in nurturing new works through the informal CineGouna market. Going forward, he will will continue to work closely with the festival as a member of its international advisory board. His new role is that of strategic advisor “under which he will continue to offer guidance to the team and help develop the event,” the festival’s statement said.
The fest was created by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort.
Al Timimi had joined the festival when it launched in 2017 in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, 250 miles south of Cairo, and rapidly put the event on the international festival map, proving its mettle in promoting the cream of the region’s cinematic crop, while also providing key support in nurturing new works through the informal CineGouna market. Going forward, he will will continue to work closely with the festival as a member of its international advisory board. His new role is that of strategic advisor “under which he will continue to offer guidance to the team and help develop the event,” the festival’s statement said.
The fest was created by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort.
- 3/25/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Intishal Al-Timimi, the long-time director of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, is stepping down from the role he has held since the event’s launch in 2017 in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna.
The respected Iraqi-born, Netherlands-based festival programmer will continue to work closely with the festival as a member of the International Advisory Board, in the new role of Strategic Advisor under which he will offer guidance to the team and help develop the event.
Al-Timimi has played a key role in building the El Gouna Film Festival, which was spearheaded by the El Gouna resort’s creator Samih Sawiris and his brother, media and property tycoon Naguib Sawiris.
“I would like, on behalf of each one of us at El Gouna Film Festival, to express our deepest appreciation to Intishal Al-Timimi for his outstanding leadership and countless contributions,” said Samih Sawiris.
“His passion for cinema...
The respected Iraqi-born, Netherlands-based festival programmer will continue to work closely with the festival as a member of the International Advisory Board, in the new role of Strategic Advisor under which he will offer guidance to the team and help develop the event.
Al-Timimi has played a key role in building the El Gouna Film Festival, which was spearheaded by the El Gouna resort’s creator Samih Sawiris and his brother, media and property tycoon Naguib Sawiris.
“I would like, on behalf of each one of us at El Gouna Film Festival, to express our deepest appreciation to Intishal Al-Timimi for his outstanding leadership and countless contributions,” said Samih Sawiris.
“His passion for cinema...
- 3/25/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival has announced that it has indefinitely postponed its sixth edition, which was due to run with revised dates from October 27 from November 2.
“In light of the deeply distressing circumstances prevailing in Gaza, the management of El Gouna Film Festival has made the conscious decision to postpone the forthcoming sixth edition of the festival,” the festival said in a statement.
The decision comes amid the Israel-Gaza crisis, sparked by a Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and another 199 people were taken hostage.
Israel responded to the attacks with a strict blockade of Gaza – cutting it off from water, food and energy supplies on the Israeli side – as well as a bombing campaign which has killed more than 3,000 people in the densely populated Palestinian territory.
El Gouna’s decision comes just one day after the Cairo Film Festival,...
“In light of the deeply distressing circumstances prevailing in Gaza, the management of El Gouna Film Festival has made the conscious decision to postpone the forthcoming sixth edition of the festival,” the festival said in a statement.
The decision comes amid the Israel-Gaza crisis, sparked by a Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and another 199 people were taken hostage.
Israel responded to the attacks with a strict blockade of Gaza – cutting it off from water, food and energy supplies on the Israeli side – as well as a bombing campaign which has killed more than 3,000 people in the densely populated Palestinian territory.
El Gouna’s decision comes just one day after the Cairo Film Festival,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (Gff), the sixth edition of which was due to kick off this Friday, has been rescheduled due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“In light of the deeply troubling circumstances resulting in the loss of innocent lives, El Gouna Film Festival management has taken the decision to postpone the festival to the 27th of October – the 2nd of November, 2023,” the festival said in a statement.
“The Gff team remains committed to hosting the festival, using this opportunity to reinforce and amplify our central theme, ‘Cinema for Humanity’. This theme champions unity and empathy, and we’re dedicated to weaving it throughout all festival activities.”
The decision to postpone the festival comes just three days after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel out of Gaza, killing more than 900 people and kidnapping more than 100 others.
Israel declared a complete siege of Gaza and has...
“In light of the deeply troubling circumstances resulting in the loss of innocent lives, El Gouna Film Festival management has taken the decision to postpone the festival to the 27th of October – the 2nd of November, 2023,” the festival said in a statement.
“The Gff team remains committed to hosting the festival, using this opportunity to reinforce and amplify our central theme, ‘Cinema for Humanity’. This theme champions unity and empathy, and we’re dedicated to weaving it throughout all festival activities.”
The decision to postpone the festival comes just three days after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel out of Gaza, killing more than 900 people and kidnapping more than 100 others.
Israel declared a complete siege of Gaza and has...
- 10/10/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival is back after a one-year hiatus with a rich mix of Arabic and international titles launching into the Middle East and plenty of promising projects from Arab countries set to be unveiled to prospective partners at its CineGouna industry side.
The event launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris – whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort in a swathe of desert near the tourist town of Hurghada 250 miles south of Cairo – was put on pause in 2022 ostensibly due to the country’s economic crisis following five editions during which fest co-founder Amr Mansi and chief Intishal Al Timimi had managed to rapidly put El Gouna on the international festival map while also making it a favourite with the local crowd.
“If there is a positive from the fact that we were forced to skip a year it’s that we were sorely...
The event launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris – whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort in a swathe of desert near the tourist town of Hurghada 250 miles south of Cairo – was put on pause in 2022 ostensibly due to the country’s economic crisis following five editions during which fest co-founder Amr Mansi and chief Intishal Al Timimi had managed to rapidly put El Gouna on the international festival map while also making it a favourite with the local crowd.
“If there is a positive from the fact that we were forced to skip a year it’s that we were sorely...
- 10/6/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian producer, director and mentor Marianne Khoury has been appointed artistic director of the El Gouna Film Festival in a clear sign that the prominent Arab event is aiming to make an ambitious comeback for its sixth edition following a one year hiatus.
The fest, launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris – whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort in a swathe of Egypt’s desert near Hurghada, a tourist town 250 miles south of Cairo – was cancelled in 2022 after being held successfully for five years.
Khoury will replace Amir Ramses who stepped down as El Gouna’s artistic director at the end of its fifth edition before the event took a one year pause. Ramses subsequently took the reins as artistic director of the Cairo Film Festival, which is Egypt’s oldest and preeminent film event.
Though no reason was given at the time for El Gouna’s...
The fest, launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris – whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort in a swathe of Egypt’s desert near Hurghada, a tourist town 250 miles south of Cairo – was cancelled in 2022 after being held successfully for five years.
Khoury will replace Amir Ramses who stepped down as El Gouna’s artistic director at the end of its fifth edition before the event took a one year pause. Ramses subsequently took the reins as artistic director of the Cairo Film Festival, which is Egypt’s oldest and preeminent film event.
Though no reason was given at the time for El Gouna’s...
- 6/26/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival will be back this year after being put on hiatus in 2022.
Organizers have announced that the prominent Arab fest’s 6th edition will take place in the Red Sea resort town between Oct. 13-20, while the fest’s industry arm, the CineGouna Platform, will run Oct. 15-19.
The fest, which was launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris – whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort in a swathe of desert near Hurghada, a tourist town 250 miles south of Cairo – had been cancelled last year after five successful editions. Though no reason was given, the one year break was possibly due to Egypt’s Red Sea area is being impacted by the war between Russia and Ukraine, whose citizens represent about 40% of beach tourists who travel to Egypt annually.
Since 2017 artistic director Intishal Al Timimi has rapidly put El Gouna on the international festival map,...
Organizers have announced that the prominent Arab fest’s 6th edition will take place in the Red Sea resort town between Oct. 13-20, while the fest’s industry arm, the CineGouna Platform, will run Oct. 15-19.
The fest, which was launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris – whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort in a swathe of desert near Hurghada, a tourist town 250 miles south of Cairo – had been cancelled last year after five successful editions. Though no reason was given, the one year break was possibly due to Egypt’s Red Sea area is being impacted by the war between Russia and Ukraine, whose citizens represent about 40% of beach tourists who travel to Egypt annually.
Since 2017 artistic director Intishal Al Timimi has rapidly put El Gouna on the international festival map,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (Gff) has announced its return for a sixth edition from October 13 to 20, 2023 after a one-year hiatus.
The future of the festival, unfolding in the Egyptian Red Sea Resort of El Gouna, had looked uncertain over the summer following the cancellation of its 2022 edition in the wake of a difficult fifth edition, marked by a political backlash over the selection and resignations.
Launched in 2017, the event developed into a key event for the Middle East and North African film industry over its first five editions as well as a destination for non-mena film and TV professionals to connect with the region.
Intishal Al Timimi, who has led the festival from the start, returns as festival director.
“After five successful editions, we wanted to take some time to re-evaluate the programme and explore all our options and reflect on how best to take the festival forward,...
The future of the festival, unfolding in the Egyptian Red Sea Resort of El Gouna, had looked uncertain over the summer following the cancellation of its 2022 edition in the wake of a difficult fifth edition, marked by a political backlash over the selection and resignations.
Launched in 2017, the event developed into a key event for the Middle East and North African film industry over its first five editions as well as a destination for non-mena film and TV professionals to connect with the region.
Intishal Al Timimi, who has led the festival from the start, returns as festival director.
“After five successful editions, we wanted to take some time to re-evaluate the programme and explore all our options and reflect on how best to take the festival forward,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The future of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival is looking uncertain following the unexpected cancellation of its previously announced sixth edition, which had been due to run October 13-22.
The festival management said that the event was being postponed to give time for a re-set.
“This decision will allow more time to focus on both the artistic and organizational side of upcoming editions, while strengthening Gff’s ability to play its leading role and contribute to the development of the film industry regionally and internationally,” it said in a statement.
The festival was launched by Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris in 2017 and unfolds in the luxury Red Sea resort of El Gouna, created by his brother Samih Sawiris.
Its development from scratch over the five years been piloted by respected Arab film expert Intishal Al Tamimi who has been credited with creating a credible, international festival.
Storm clouds began gathering...
The festival management said that the event was being postponed to give time for a re-set.
“This decision will allow more time to focus on both the artistic and organizational side of upcoming editions, while strengthening Gff’s ability to play its leading role and contribute to the development of the film industry regionally and internationally,” it said in a statement.
The festival was launched by Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris in 2017 and unfolds in the luxury Red Sea resort of El Gouna, created by his brother Samih Sawiris.
Its development from scratch over the five years been piloted by respected Arab film expert Intishal Al Tamimi who has been credited with creating a credible, international festival.
Storm clouds began gathering...
- 6/20/2022
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival is being put on hiatus this year after five successful editions in what could be a precursor to the event being permanently scrapped or radically reshaped.
In a statement, fest organizers said “a decision was made to postpone the festival” which was scheduled to run Oct. 13-22 in the Egyptian Red Sea resort.
As for the reason, the nebulous statement, posted to social media, said the fest — which is now in its 6th edition — is being postponed “in view of the vital role” it’s played “in the art and tourism sectors, both locally and internationally,” which is now being re-thought “in view of current global challenges.”
Competition between Arab film fests has been increasingly fierce with the deep-pocketed Red Sea Festival in Saudi Arabia joining the fray last year, alongside the Cairo and Marrakech fests. These events are all slotted in the year...
In a statement, fest organizers said “a decision was made to postpone the festival” which was scheduled to run Oct. 13-22 in the Egyptian Red Sea resort.
As for the reason, the nebulous statement, posted to social media, said the fest — which is now in its 6th edition — is being postponed “in view of the vital role” it’s played “in the art and tourism sectors, both locally and internationally,” which is now being re-thought “in view of current global challenges.”
Competition between Arab film fests has been increasingly fierce with the deep-pocketed Red Sea Festival in Saudi Arabia joining the fray last year, alongside the Cairo and Marrakech fests. These events are all slotted in the year...
- 6/20/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Jasmila Žbanic’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?” won the El Gouna Star for best narrative film at the El Gouna Film Festival, carrying a $50,000 prize. The film’s star, Jasna Duricic, also took home the best actress award, for her startling eponymous turn. Based on a true story, the 1995-set drama tells the story of a Un translator attempting to save the lives of her husband and son after the Army of Republic Srpska takes over the city of Srebrenica.
Other winners announced by jury president Peter Webber at the striking new open-air Festival Plaza included Ali Suliman as best actor for his turn as a Palestinian trying to reunite with his family in Ameen Nayfeh’s “200 Meters,” a film which also won the Cinema for Humanity Audience Award. Hilal Baydarov’s “In Between Dying” won the Netpac Award for best Asian film.
Other big winners on the night included...
Other winners announced by jury president Peter Webber at the striking new open-air Festival Plaza included Ali Suliman as best actor for his turn as a Palestinian trying to reunite with his family in Ameen Nayfeh’s “200 Meters,” a film which also won the Cinema for Humanity Audience Award. Hilal Baydarov’s “In Between Dying” won the Netpac Award for best Asian film.
Other big winners on the night included...
- 10/31/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
16 regional and international features are competing for the festival’s $50,000 Golden Star award.
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival kicked off its fourth edition against the Covid-19 odds over the weekend, feting French actor Gérard Depardieu and UK director Peter Webber with its special Golden Star Career Achievement Award at the opening ceremony.
Taking to the stage, Depardieu praised the festival for pulling off such a large-scale event and professed his admiration for late Egyptian film director Youssef Chahine.
A host of film and TV stars from Egypt as well as a smattering of international guests walked the red carpet at the glitzy opening event,...
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival kicked off its fourth edition against the Covid-19 odds over the weekend, feting French actor Gérard Depardieu and UK director Peter Webber with its special Golden Star Career Achievement Award at the opening ceremony.
Taking to the stage, Depardieu praised the festival for pulling off such a large-scale event and professed his admiration for late Egyptian film director Youssef Chahine.
A host of film and TV stars from Egypt as well as a smattering of international guests walked the red carpet at the glitzy opening event,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, which shifted its dates from September to an October slot, will mark a moment of post Covid-19 restart for the Arab film industry, while also seeking to reinvigorate the region’s international ties after the pandemic.
Barring complications, the ambitious event, now in its fourth edition, “will be the first festival in the region that will happen physically” after the pandemic, says its chief Intishal Al Timimi. He points out that El Gouna organizers have taken their cue from Venice and will have lots of sanitary measures in place for the Oct. 23-31 event held in a Red Sea resort where socially-distanced screenings will take place in open-air theaters.
Social distancing and other factors have caused El Gouna to reduce the lineup from 80 to roughly 65 entries, though its structure remains unchanged.
As always, the competition is a mix of titles picked from the year’s festival circuit crop,...
Barring complications, the ambitious event, now in its fourth edition, “will be the first festival in the region that will happen physically” after the pandemic, says its chief Intishal Al Timimi. He points out that El Gouna organizers have taken their cue from Venice and will have lots of sanitary measures in place for the Oct. 23-31 event held in a Red Sea resort where socially-distanced screenings will take place in open-air theaters.
Social distancing and other factors have caused El Gouna to reduce the lineup from 80 to roughly 65 entries, though its structure remains unchanged.
As always, the competition is a mix of titles picked from the year’s festival circuit crop,...
- 10/20/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The upbeat state of Arab cinema will be on the screen and in the balmy air at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (Sept. 19-27), which is steadily gaining traction in its stated ambition to become a key platform and solid driver for Middle-East producers.
“This year was one the best for Arab cinema,” says Intishal Al Timimi, artistic director of the event held in a Red Sea resort. As evidence, he points out that each one of the five Arab films he selected for his 15-title main competition lineup is by a first-time director, and three are by women.
“It shows that young Arab filmmakers are thriving,” Al Timimi says.
Now at its third edition, El Gouna has, since its inception, aimed to combine a cream-of-the-crop lineup offering the finest and freshest global and Arabic offerings alongside its CineGouna market component, which nurtures projects, in either development or post,...
“This year was one the best for Arab cinema,” says Intishal Al Timimi, artistic director of the event held in a Red Sea resort. As evidence, he points out that each one of the five Arab films he selected for his 15-title main competition lineup is by a first-time director, and three are by women.
“It shows that young Arab filmmakers are thriving,” Al Timimi says.
Now at its third edition, El Gouna has, since its inception, aimed to combine a cream-of-the-crop lineup offering the finest and freshest global and Arabic offerings alongside its CineGouna market component, which nurtures projects, in either development or post,...
- 9/19/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Al Gouna Film Festival (Gff) has announced the program details of its 3rd edition, to take place in El Gouna, Egypt September 19–27.
Following the screening of a video showing the most important guests and artistic events of the past editions, the Egyptian actress, Injy El Mokkaddem, acting as moderator, asked the founder of El Gouna, an engineer named Samih Sawiris about his goals and dreams for Gff. Sawiris replied: “The festival was born successful since the first edition, and God helped us! As a film lover, I attend the majority of international festivals, and I hear how they talk about Gff, as if it has been present for many years.” Sawiris continued by requesting from the media not to pour all their efforts into the red carpet events, as the Festival will also be packed with other events and activities of great importance.
See videos of Al Gouna Film Festival’s last editions here.
Following the screening of a video showing the most important guests and artistic events of the past editions, the Egyptian actress, Injy El Mokkaddem, acting as moderator, asked the founder of El Gouna, an engineer named Samih Sawiris about his goals and dreams for Gff. Sawiris replied: “The festival was born successful since the first edition, and God helped us! As a film lover, I attend the majority of international festivals, and I hear how they talk about Gff, as if it has been present for many years.” Sawiris continued by requesting from the media not to pour all their efforts into the red carpet events, as the Festival will also be packed with other events and activities of great importance.
See videos of Al Gouna Film Festival’s last editions here.
- 9/2/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival has wrapped its second edition, with Singaporean director Yeo Slew Hua’s noir title “A Land Imagined” winning the Golden Star, the fest’s top prize, awarded by a jury headed by Oscar-winning Croatian producer Cedomir Kolar (“No Man’s Land”).
The genre pic, shot mostly at night, is about a jaded Singapore cop investigating the disappearance of a Chinese construction worker. It previously won the Locarno Film Festival’s Golden Leopard in August. The El Gouna award carries $50,000 in prize money, to be divided equally between the director and the main producer, Fran Borgia, and his Akanga Film Asia shingle.
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky’s unconventional road movie “Yomeddine” won Best Arab Narrative Feature award and split honors for the fest’s Cinema for Humanity audience prize with “Another Day of Life,” an animation-documentary hybrid about the experiences of war journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski in 1970s Angola.
The genre pic, shot mostly at night, is about a jaded Singapore cop investigating the disappearance of a Chinese construction worker. It previously won the Locarno Film Festival’s Golden Leopard in August. The El Gouna award carries $50,000 in prize money, to be divided equally between the director and the main producer, Fran Borgia, and his Akanga Film Asia shingle.
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky’s unconventional road movie “Yomeddine” won Best Arab Narrative Feature award and split honors for the fest’s Cinema for Humanity audience prize with “Another Day of Life,” an animation-documentary hybrid about the experiences of war journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski in 1970s Angola.
- 10/1/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Winners in the narrative feature competition also included Ray & Liz, The Heiresses and Yomeddine.
Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined won the Golden Star in the Feature Narrative competition at the second edition of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, which wrapped on Friday night.
The film, which recently won the Golden Leopard at this year’s Locarno film festival, follows a detective investigating the disappearance of a migrant worker.
Ray & Liz, directed by the UK’s Richard Billingham, won the Silver Star in the same competition, while the Bronze Star went to The Heiresses from Paraguay’s Marcelo Martinessi.
Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined won the Golden Star in the Feature Narrative competition at the second edition of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, which wrapped on Friday night.
The film, which recently won the Golden Leopard at this year’s Locarno film festival, follows a detective investigating the disappearance of a migrant worker.
Ray & Liz, directed by the UK’s Richard Billingham, won the Silver Star in the same competition, while the Bronze Star went to The Heiresses from Paraguay’s Marcelo Martinessi.
- 9/29/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Amid the Arab world’s volatile festival landscape, Egypt’s ambitious El Gouna Film Festival, heading into its second edition, is aiming to raise its profile a few notches. The fest has secured the cream of this year’s global cinematic crop and more than doubled the cash prizes for Arabic projects at its co-production market.
Following the unexpected shuttering last December of the Dubai fest and market after 14 editions, El Gouna is certainly better positioned to play a prominent role as an Arab film industry driver and bridgehead into the Middle East for quality international films.
“The only selection criteria we have is that all films should be fresh Middle East premieres,” says Intishal Al Timimi, artistic director of the Sept. 20-28 event held in the El Gouna Red Sea resort and backed by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris.
While world premieres are understandably scarce, this year El Gouna...
Following the unexpected shuttering last December of the Dubai fest and market after 14 editions, El Gouna is certainly better positioned to play a prominent role as an Arab film industry driver and bridgehead into the Middle East for quality international films.
“The only selection criteria we have is that all films should be fresh Middle East premieres,” says Intishal Al Timimi, artistic director of the Sept. 20-28 event held in the El Gouna Red Sea resort and backed by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris.
While world premieres are understandably scarce, this year El Gouna...
- 9/28/2018
- by Malina Saval
- Variety Film + TV
I find myself in Egypt, in an environment filled with contradictions, at the 2nd edition of the Al Gouna Film Festival, an invited guest of Mohammed Atef, one of its programmers and a colleague in the Arab Critics Association of which I am a member.
Held in a highly engineered resort region of Egypt called El Gouna, where hotels, homes, golf courses, many islands, swimming pools, bars and beaches on the Red Sea have been created as an eco-friendly destination aimed to raise awareness on protecting the environment and protecting the stunning coral reefs where we spent hours snorkeling, the Festival has provided us with all the services we could ask for and they are administered by kind, approachable and infinitely patient attendants.
A worldwide mix of international industry executives, fellow writers and journalists have bonded in this environment. After a morning of writing, we go see three films a day,...
Held in a highly engineered resort region of Egypt called El Gouna, where hotels, homes, golf courses, many islands, swimming pools, bars and beaches on the Red Sea have been created as an eco-friendly destination aimed to raise awareness on protecting the environment and protecting the stunning coral reefs where we spent hours snorkeling, the Festival has provided us with all the services we could ask for and they are administered by kind, approachable and infinitely patient attendants.
A worldwide mix of international industry executives, fellow writers and journalists have bonded in this environment. After a morning of writing, we go see three films a day,...
- 9/27/2018
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The El Gouna Film Festival (Gff) taking place in El Gouna, Egypt September 20 to 28 announced its film selection.
During their press conference attended by Gff founder Naguib Sawiris and El Gouna founder Samih Sawiris, Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat under whose auspices the festival is held, a number of Gff’s International Advisory Board members, in addition to members of its international jury, and some of the directors, actors and producers of the participating films, Naguib Sawiris explaine the founding of this new festival which might possibly take up the slack caused by the cessation of the Dubai Film Festival:
We believe in the role art plays in the development of society and in challenging regressive ideas… that is why we established Gff.
This year, 15 films are participating in the Feature Narrative Competition, 12 films in the Feature Documentary Competition, 23 films in the Short Film Competition, as well as 5 films...
During their press conference attended by Gff founder Naguib Sawiris and El Gouna founder Samih Sawiris, Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat under whose auspices the festival is held, a number of Gff’s International Advisory Board members, in addition to members of its international jury, and some of the directors, actors and producers of the participating films, Naguib Sawiris explaine the founding of this new festival which might possibly take up the slack caused by the cessation of the Dubai Film Festival:
We believe in the role art plays in the development of society and in challenging regressive ideas… that is why we established Gff.
This year, 15 films are participating in the Feature Narrative Competition, 12 films in the Feature Documentary Competition, 23 films in the Short Film Competition, as well as 5 films...
- 9/17/2018
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Arab cinema professionals are asking whether another Arab film festival can fill the void left by the closure of the Dubai International Film Festival (Diff).
The Arab film world is having a high profile Cannes this year with several buzzy titles premiering here, such as Egyptian Palme d’Or contender Yomeddine, Syria’s Un Certain Regard entry My Favorite Fabric, and Mohamed Ben Attia’s Directors’ Fortnight title Our Son.
The arrival of a big Saudi Arabian delegation to kickstart the country’s drive to build the biggest film and TV business in the Gulf, following the lifting of its 30-year-old cinema ban,...
The Arab film world is having a high profile Cannes this year with several buzzy titles premiering here, such as Egyptian Palme d’Or contender Yomeddine, Syria’s Un Certain Regard entry My Favorite Fabric, and Mohamed Ben Attia’s Directors’ Fortnight title Our Son.
The arrival of a big Saudi Arabian delegation to kickstart the country’s drive to build the biggest film and TV business in the Gulf, following the lifting of its 30-year-old cinema ban,...
- 5/15/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
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