The Middle East film industry is getting a new host. El Gouna, Egypt’s luxury resort town will host its first film festival edition from the 22nd to the 29th of September 2017. Producers, filmmakers, writers, composers, actors, musicians, the literati and glitterati of every stripe are flocking to participate in El Gouna Film Festival.
Launched under the slogan “Cinema for Humanity”, the festival aims to provide a rich program with three main competitions (feature films, documentary films and short films), in a bid to find international collaboration, film co-production and co-financing.
The Festival’s main goal is to create opportunities for development and to provide support for all forms of artistic expressions of the Arab world—especially among young promising talents.
In addition to the film screenings, the festival will also feature “CineGouna platform”, a creative and a business hub designed to offer support to Egyptian and Arab actors, producers and filmmakers. CineGouna also aspires to invite business opportunities for the Arab cinema industry.
The initiative was led by Engineer Naguib Sawiris, actress and producer Bushra Rozza, in collaboration with a group of ambitious young talents.
The Festival aims to help promote Egypt’s Red Sea as a recovering tourist attraction and a safe family holiday destination for international visitors. “Through hosting a prestigious film festival as such, that will impact artists and participants on a global scale, we hope that people realize that Egypt is still a safe haven that offers a multitude of services and unique experiences,” said Samih Sawiris.
The Honorary Stars
Forest Whitaker
Oscar-winning actor-director, Forest Whitaker will be awarded with a Lifetime Achievement accolade. Whitaker is the founder and CEO of The Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, co-founder and chair of the International Institute for Peace, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation and was recently appointed as UNESCO Special Envoy.
NEW YORK – JULY 18: Forest Whitaker attends the Mandela Day: A 46664 Celebration Concert at Radio City Music Hall on July 18, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Adel Imam
In recognition of his extensive cinematic repertoire and prestigious stature as one of the most prominent icons in the history of the Egyptian film industry, El Gouna Film Festival will honor Adel Iman with its Career Achievement Award.
“Our slogan this edition is ‘Cinema for Humanity,’ and our aim is to employ cinema to promote humanitarian values and bring them back to our society,” says GFF founder Engineer Naguib Sawiris.“Adel Imam has brought joy to this nation and drawn smiles on many faces, and he has always been a defender of our unity against extremism and terrorism, and this is why we are paying tribute to him.”
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO – DECEMBER 05: Egyptian movie and stage actor Adel Emam arrives on stage during the 14th Marrakech International Film Festival Opening Ceremony on December 5, 2014 in Marrakech, Morocco. (Photo by Dominique Charriau/Getty Images)
Opening Film: “Sheikh Jackson” After its world premiere during the Toronto Film Festival, Amr Salama’s film Sheikh Jackson will open El Gouna Film Festival. The film follows the story of a young Islamic clerk who finds his faith in crisis following the death of the King of Pop. Sheikh Jackson has been selected as Egypt’s Oscar bid for best foreign film.
“This film is a turning of the page on so many obstacles in the road (in my life) in terms of identity and faith crises,” Salama said in an interview with AFP describing the film.
Notable International Film Screenings
Besides the opening film, El Gouna Festival will show an array of international film screenings to watch out for. Dopo La Guerra (After the War)
Director: Annarita Zambrano
Country: France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland
Dopo La Guerra was screened at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The murder of a judge opens up political wounds between Italy and France. An ex-far left activist- convicted of murder and a refugee in France- is suspected of having sponsored the attack. The Italian Government requests his extradition. Obliged to escape with his 16-year-old daughter, his life changes forever, as well as that of his family in Italy.
Mukkabaaz (The Brawler)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Country: India
Shravan is a lower-caste boxer struggling to leave his mark on the boxing world. His career took a different turn when he delivers a left jab to the face of his employer, the local kingpin—and the top boxing promoter. Based on a true story, The Brawler is a riveting, high-octane story about corruption and crime in Indian sports.
Toivon Tuolla Puolen (The Other Side of Hope)
Country: Finland
Director: Aki Kaurismäki
The film consists of two stories that intersect by chance. The first one is about Khaled, a young Syrian refugee who has lost virtually all of his family. The other is about Wikström, a former travelling salesman of about fifty who buys an unprofitable restaurant at the far end of an inner court along a back street in Helsinki.
By: Mohamed Taky
