Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) will be returning for its sixth edition from Oct. 13 to 20 in the Red Sea resort town after a one-year hiatus. The event canceled its 2022 edition last year, writing on Instagram at the time “in view of current global challenges, and with the consequent need to develop an integrated strategy that will live up to the growing expectations of the festival as a leading platform for film, art, and culture, the decision was made to postpone the festival.”
Festival co-founder and entrepreneur Amr Mansi, who played a pivotal role in the success of GFF, will be its new executive director, succeeding Amal El Masri, who served as the festival’s Executive Director during the fourth and fifth editions.
“Mansi’s appointment is in line with the festival’s mission to provide a productive experience which in turn will grow and strengthen its role as a catalyst for the development of the industry in the region,” wrote organizers on Instagram.
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El Gouna was launched in 2017 by Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris, whose brother Samih built the El Gouna resort along Egypt’s Red Sea coast.
In five short years, it went on to establish itself as one of the leading film festivals in the Middle East and North Africa, attracting a spectrum of actors, directors, models, and industry insiders to the picturesque resort town north of Hurghada.
Serving as a springboard for Arab talent, the El Gouna Film Festival is a platform for promoting cultural understanding between the region and the world, as well as the development of the local and regional film industry, giving the opportunity to many ambitious filmmakers to shine.
It also supported local talent through the festival’s CineGouna Platform, conceived to nurture and empower Egyptian and Arab filmmakers and help them find artistic and financial support.
