The El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has revealed a new lineup of short films for its fourth edition competition.
The lineup includes films from France, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Switzerland, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Macedonia, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt.
Set for its world premiere, The Bath (Tunisia, France) by Anissa Daoud carries the story of a father spending time alone with—and committed to taking care of—his five-year-old son, despite his own fears.
Jasmine Trinca’s directorial debut, Being My Mom (Italy), starring Alba Rohrwacher, tells of a peculiar day in Rome. Only a mother and her daughter keep the road company, dragging a large suitcase along, as well as their own complicated relationship.
Ivan Milosavljević’s Blue Frontier (Serbia, Slovenia) is another addition to the Short Film Competition. It tells the tale of an old fisherman who has spent his entire life searching for the biggest fish in the Danube. It explores the relationship between two protagonists—one on the surface of the water, and the other in the unknown depths of the river.
Bullmastiff (Ukraine) is Anastasiia Bukovska’s directorial debut. It introduces us to the life of a war veteran who is trying to return to normal civilian life. Interestingly, he is accompanied in his quest by Roy, a bullmastiff dog.
Death of the Official (Russia) by Artem Gilemyanov gives a glimpse of what goes on within the mind of a cadastral official when he learns that he is soon to die.
Valentina Casadei’s End of September (Italy) follows two brothers without a father figure, trying to navigate the experiences of their ages and desires while surviving a less-than-perfect living arrangement with an absent, alcoholic mother.
I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face (Egypt) by director Sameh Alaa follows Adam, who after being separated for 82 days, decides to venture a rough road to be reunited with the one he loves. It is the first Egyptian film to be selected for the Official Short Film Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 50 years.
Other films in the line-up include Rubén Barbosa’s Influencer (Spain), Dimitris Anagnostou’s first short film Mare Nostrum (Greece), Sami Tilili’s Obvious Offside (Tunisia), The Other Cheek (Egypt) by Sandro Canaan, animation Peel (Switzerland) by Samuel Patthey and Monney Silvain, Yngwie Boley, JJ Epping, and Diana van Houten’s Pilar (Netherlands, Belgium), Play Schengen (Norway) by director Gunhild Enger and Roadblock (Lebanon) by Dahlia Nemlich.
Films also include Sër Bi (France) by Moly Kane which was part of the Short Cuts programme of the 45th Toronto International Film Festival, Shakwa (Lebanon, Jordan) by Farah Shaer and Sticker (Macedonia) by Georgi M. Unkovski.
Commenting on the line-up, Intishal Al Timimi, Festival Director, stated: “Short films have their own kind of magic. At GFF, we strive to showcase all forms of cinema that enrich our fantasies and inspire our minds. That’s why we aim to keep our Short Film Competition as diverse and stimulating as possible. From all over the globe, this edition’s competition carries an impressive ensemble of short films that promise to offer our guests an unforgettable experience.”
Amir Ramses, Artistic Director, remarked: “This year’s collection of short films is a treat to our senses, for we continue to celebrate the great and promising works of emerging and established filmmakers alike. As always, I can confidently say that I am proud of this edition’s portfolio.”
