The sixth edition of El Gouna Film Festival to kick off from October 13-20

El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) announced that the 6th edition of the festival will take place  from October 13 to 20, 2023.  

The short one-year break allowed GFF’s management to reflect on the artistic and organizational aspects of the festival and to focus on consolidating the role GFF has played so far in the development of the film industry regionally and internationally.

The festival will continue to be held under the patronage of El Gouna Founder, Engineer Samih Sawiris.

Engineer Samih Sawiris commented: “I believe that El Gouna Film Festival has been an important artistic, creative, and cinematic activity in the region. I am committed to nurturing it so that it may continue to contribute to spurring growth of film and filmmakers: locally, regionally and globally. With the return of festival, I renew my faith in the belief that the arts and creativity are critical to the development of society. I am excited that El Gouna will continue to being the home of one of our most constructive cultural endeavours.”

GFF is also announced that the festival Co-Founder and Entrepreneur Amr Mansi, who played a pivotal role in the establishment and success of GFF, will be its new Executive Director.

Mansi ’s appointment is in line with the festival’s mission to offer its delegates, guests and participants a productive experience which in turn will grow and strengthen its role as a catalyst for the development of the industry in the region.

Amr Mansi expressed his enthusiasm for his new role in further supporting the El Gouna Film Festival and its mission to promote the MENA region and Egypt's film industry on the international stage saying “I am excited for this year’s edition, which will be a milestone in the festival’s history. We are determined to create an unforgettable experience for all stakeholders and set a high standard for future editions.”

He continued, “The El Gouna Film Festival is a testament to Egypt's dedication to the film industry and its potential to make an impact on the global stage.

Mansi succeeds Amal El Masri, who served as the festival’s Executive Director  during the 4th and 5th editions.

would like to thank Amal for  the significant role she played and for her great contributions.

during the past two editions of the festival,” added Engineer Samih Sawiris.

El Gouna Film Festival was founded in 2017 by Engineer Naguib Sawiris, in collaboration with actress and producer Bushra Rozza; CEO of I-Events Amr Mansi and film producer Kamal Zadeh. The initiative gained strength and momentum with the support of El Gouna founder Engineer Samih Sawiris and Orascom Development. The GFF team is helmed by festival director Intishal Al Timimi, who brings to the festival his knowledge and understanding of the regional and international cinematic landscape.

For the past five years, GFF has established its reputation as one of the leading film festivals in the Arab world dedicated to discovering the hidden talents in the region’s filmmaking industry, giving new voices a platform and helping Arab cinema to reach an international audience.

“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. We now return, totally
re-energised, and inspired to resume our past efforts to encourage the development of the industry in the region” said Intishal Timimi, Festival Director, GFF.

The 6th edition of GFF is set to take place from October 13-20, 2023, while the activities of CineGouna Platform will take place October 15 -19, 2023 in the resort town of El Gouna.

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. 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.