During the 76th edition of Cannes, GFF celebrated cinema, collaboration, and cultural exchange.
At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, El Gouna Film Festival had a strong presence under the leadership of Engineer Samih Sawiris. Executive director Amr Mansi and Intishal Al Timimi, director of GFF, along with the entire programming staff attended the festival.
El Gouna Film Festival aims to foster connections among industry professionals and to promote the growth and diversity of Arab cinema on the international stage. As part of the festival, a series of events were held, beginning on Saturday, May 20 with a cocktail reception hosted by Sawiris on his yacht for friends, industry professionals, and media representatives.
On Sunday, May 21, Sawiris hosted a lunch which brought together a constellation of talent including directors of international film festivals in the Arab region and directors and producers representing Arab films showcased at the Cannes festival. This convergence of creative minds emphasised the power of collaboration and storytelling. The day culminated in the world premiere of Goodbye Julia, directed by Mohamed Kordofani, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard competition.
Engineer Samih Sawiris, Founder of El Gouna, expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming response to the festival’s activities at Cannes, and said: “We are thrilled to bring together industry professionals and creatives who share our passion for storytelling.”
Intishal Al Timimi added: “El Gouna Film Festival aims to create an inclusive environment that showcases the immense talent of Arab cinema to the world.”
Amr Mansi stated: “All of us at GFF were thrilled to be part of this opportunity for networking and collaboration among industry professionals, further promoting the growth and development of the Arab film industry.”
