Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival’s official selection houses 11 additional internationally acclaimed films

CAIRO - 18 September 2020:  El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) is keen every edition to bring the best films from all over the world, guided by artistic visions and humanistic values.

GFF announced the latest additions to the rich selection of films participating in its 4th edition, scheduled to take place from October 23-31, 2020 at the resort town of El Gouna. 

Intishal Al Timimi, Festival Director said, “As we scout the world for creative cinematic works, we grow more and more inspired by what filmmakers everywhere have to offer. What drives us in our quest for the best films is the appetite of our audiences and participants for good cinema. We feel blessed that we can present an exciting line-up of films at GFF this year.”

Amir Ramses, Artistic Director stated, “For the love of cinema and everything film, and despite the dire global challenges, we remain eager to see, recognize and include the most notable works this year. Not only is our experience enriched by sharing our passion for films with the network of filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts worldwide, but we also remain loyal to our endeavor of bringing those inspirational works to GFF.” 

Set to participate in the Feature Narrative Competition at this year’s festival are: Philipp Yuryev’s debut feature film, The Whaler Boy(Russia, Poland, Belgium). The film shows the trials and tribulations of a young hunter on his journey to find a girl he saw on his computer.  Director Philip Yuryev received the GdA Director’s Award at the 17th Venice Days.

Golden Lion nominee at the 77th Venice Film Festival, In Between Dying (Azerbaijan, Mexico, USA) is directed by Hilal Baydarov who shares with us the love story of Davud, a young man trying to find his “real” family, who completes his life cycle in a single day. 

Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Norway, Turkey) that had its world premiere at the 77th Venice Film Festival. In the film, director Jasmila Žbanic, a war survivor herself, chronicles the humanistic journey of Aida, a translator at the United Nations. While the Serbian army takes over her town, Aida has access to crucial information about the future of her family and people. What will she do next? 

The Truffle Hunters (Italy, United States, Greece) by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, that will participate in the Feature Documentary Competition, follows a group of old men as they search for rare white Alba truffles deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy. A celebration of human passion in a community forgotten in time, the film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. 

In the Official Selection out of Competition section, GFF has recently added: Ana Rocha De Sousa’s Listen (United Kingdom, Portugal). The film portrays the tireless battle of immigrant parents against strict foreign laws, as they struggle to make ends meet in an attempt to keep their children safe and their family together. The film recently premiered in the Orizzonti competition at the 77th Venice International Film Festival and received the Lion of The Future Award for a Debut Film as well as the Special Orizzonti Jury Prize.

My Tender Matador (Chile, Argentina, Mexico) is yet another riveting film to look forward to in the programme of the 4th edition of GFF. Based on the novel by celebrated Chilean writer Pedro Lemebel, Rodrigo Sepulveda Urzua’s film had its World Premiere at the 17th Venice Days. The story is hailed for offering an insightful exploration of passion amid revolution, weaving broader political observations into a trans love tale. 

Emmanuel Courcol’s The Big Hit (France) follows Etienne, an actor who is often out of work and runs a theater workshop in a prison, where he brings together an unlikely ensemble of prisoners to stage Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. The film was among five comedies included in Cannes’s special 2020 Official Selection. 

The Ties (Italy) by Daniele Luchetti—opening film of the 77th Venice International Film Festival—also joins the lineup. The film is an emotional thriller about loyalty and infidelity, rancor and shame, represented by a story that begins in the 1980’s and leaves its mark on the present day. 

Gia Coppola’s Mainstream (United States), which had its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, tackles the influence of social media and how this new form of connectivity has some nefarious effects on the human psyche.

Kawase Naomi joins with True Mothers (Japan), the film was screened as part of the Special Presentations section of the 45thToronto International Film Festival. It was also selected to be shown at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Based on a 2015 novel by Mizuki Tsujimura, the film explores the unusual experience of a woman with an adopted child who is unexpectedly contacted by the child's birth mother.

And last but not least Beginning (Georgia, France) Dea Kulumbegashvili’s debut feature, which was chosen as part of this year's Cannes Official Selection, as well as screened in the Discovery section at the 45th Toronto International Film Festival. Beginning revolves around Yana, a young Jehovah’s Witness missionary who suffers from a powerful shock after angry locals burn down her place of worship during a service. 

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, especially through its industry segment, CineGouna Platform.