The mission of El Gouna Film Festival is to showcase a diverse selection of films for a passionate and knowledgeable audience and to foster better communication between different cultures through the art of filmmaking. Its goal is to connect filmmakers from the region with their international counterparts in the spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange through the presentation of the finest recent cinematic productions. The Festival is committed to the discovery of new voices and strives to be a catalyst for the development of Cinema in the Arab World, particularly through its industry segment, CineGouna Platform.
The Festival was established to underscore the role film plays in promoting cultural interaction, fostering an awareness of different cinematic voices through encouraging dialogue and by building bridges of creative intellect. The goal is to generate opportunities for development and support for all contemporary forms of creative expressions in the MENA region, especially between young generations from the Arab world and their international counterparts.
The festival presented a selection of the newest films from around the globe and hosted established and emerging filmmakers. The program will include three competitive sections (Feature Narrative Competition, Feature Documentary Competition, and Short Films Competition) an Official selection out of competition and a section devoted to special programs. The festival will give special attention to films with humanitarian content.
In parallel to the screenings, the festival will organize the “CineGouna platform”, which is a creative and business hub designed to support Egyptian and Arab talents where a wide range of meetings will be organized between Arab and international directors, producers, and distributors with the aim of enhancing business opportunities for the Arab cinema. In addition, the event will present round-tables, workshops, panels, and masterclasses.