The second day of the El Gouna Film Festival’s rich repertoire of panels and discussions at the Forum kicked off with an eclectic group of film distributors, publicists, and festival organizers in a discussion titled ‘International Distribution: How to Travel With Your Film’. Film marketing experts familiar with the European and the United States markets, as well as regional distributors behind some of the most internationally recognized and acclaimed that have come out of the MENA region in recent years, shared their extensive experience with Arab filmmakers seeking to bring their work to the international stage.
The far-ranging discussion covered various topics, including selecting the right film festival for your premiere, negotiating deals with digital platforms, and navigating creative constraints.
The panelists emphasized that while independent cinema from the MENA region are enjoying unprecedented attention, Arab filmmakers still face significant challenges, such as limited funding and lack of a marketable audience. However, the biggest issue of all is that international interest in Arab cinema tends to be fleeting and illusory, with foreign interest often dependent on the current zeitgeist.
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