CineGounaSpringBoard, a core programme of CineGouna Platform, has selected projects and films that represent six Arab countries including Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Sudan.
During the second edition of the El Gouna Film Festival, an international jury of film experts, will decide winners among 12 projects in development, and six films in post-production selected from six Arab countries. The 2nd edition of El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) will be held from September 20 to 28, 2018, in El Gouna, located on the Red Sea, Egypt.
CineGounaSpringBoard, a core programme of CineGouna Platform, selected the films based on their content, artistic vision, and overall financial feasibility. The selected projects and films represent six Arab countries including Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Sudan. They include nine feature narratives and three feature documentaries in the projects in development category; and three narratives and three documentaries in the films in post-production category.
The best project and film in post-production will receive a CineGouna Platform Certificate and a cash award of $15,000 each. Additional grants, funded by different institutions, are expected to join the CineGouna Platform. During the first edition the jury awarded a total of $60,000 to the selected projects.
Hollywood Actor Patrick Dempsey will be the guest of honour at this years El Gouna Film Festival, the festivals official website announced. The festival will honour acclaimed Egyptian Director Dawood Abdel Sayed.
In a press conference, singer and actress Boshra (the festivals co-founder) announced Dempseys participation and said: Patrick Dempsey is not only coming to honour the red carpet by his attendance, but he is bringing a gift along with him: for the first time in the Middle East, El Gouna will be screening what well call a sneak peek into his new TV series with MGM: The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair.
French Director Jean-Jacques Annaud will also attend the festival, it was announced. Annaud would be conducting a class on September 23, under the CineGouna Platform. Festival President Intishal Al-Tamimi stated that the eight-day-long festival will feature 80 movies, ten more than last year.
Abu Bakr Shawkys award-winning Youmeldin will also air in the festival. The movie will be screened in the Short Film category, alongside eight other Arab movies.
The lineup of the GFF 2018 round includes six Cannes Film Festival winning movies and winning films from Berlinale, Rotterdam and Sundance festivals. Directed by noted auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda Shoplifters will be one of the highlights of the festivals programme this year. Pawel Pawlikowskis Cold War, winner of the Best Director award at Cannes, will also be screened.
GFF also announced that the Sundance Film Festival winner of Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons, directed by Berlin-based Syrian filmmaker, Talal Derki, will also be featured in this years programme.
