"I thought about postponing this year's festival due to the depressing atmosphere of the pandemic. But I also thought about going ahead with the festival in order not to stop its success wheel. The festival now is well-known internationally and cancelling it this year would have been a setback,” said Naguib Sawiris, the founder of El Gouna Film Festival (GFF), on Thursday. Sawiris was speaking at the press conference marking the launch of the fourth edition of the GFF, scheduled for 23-31 October. The event, held at the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel, was presented by media figure Lamis Al-Hadidi. El Gouna resort owener Samih Sawiris had a different take on this edition. “I was closely monitoring whether the Venice Film Festival was going to be held and when it did, I thought we have to do this edition as well, our festival is no less than Venice's. Some of our team members were present at the Venice Film Festival and they talked to the Venice team and we had the template for the safety measures which will help us a lot in this edition. Moreover, representatives from the Egyptian Ministry of Health will be present in El Gouna to guide us through the health measures.” CEO of Orascom Development Omar El-Hamamsy said “the health safety of festival participants and El Gouna residents is our priority. The activities will be held in open-air spaces at the new venue of El Gouna Conference and Culture Centre (GCCC). Between events, 90 minutes will be dedicated for cleaning and sanitising the venue.” GFF Director Intishal Al-Timimi sounded optimistic about the fourth edition. “The festival will succeed this year and it will be an investment for years to come. We worked hard this year to present a unique edition despite the challenging circumstances.” “We are always dedicated to bring our audience a collection of the best international films that were awarded in other film festivals, such as in Berlin and Venice, and the selected films in Cannes this year,” said GFF Artistic Director Amir Ramses. The CineGouna Bridge, part of the CineGouna platform, will include "workshops, panel discussions and master classes. A significant panel discussion will be held under the title ‘Women's Empowerment in Film' that will gather a number of female figures in the cinema industry,” said Bushra Rozza, GFF co-founder and foreign relations officer. Ramses added “this year will feature the Australian film The Furnace, directed by Roderick MacKay that was premiered at the 77th Venice Festival, with the participation of Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek.” The fourth edition is running under the slogan "The Culture of Dreams," focusing on the diverse cultures of the region. The GFF has always been dedicated to showcase diverse films from around the world. The CineGouna Platform, held this year from 25 to 29 October, is maintaining its significant role in assisting Arab filmmakers in their film projects. The festival will screen 45 films in total, including, in the Feature Narrative Competition, 200 Meters, directed by Ameen Nayfeh, Bad Tales by Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo, and Kaouther Ben Hania's The Man Who Sold His Skin.
El Gouna founder Engineer Samih Sawiris during the El Gouna Film Festival press conference (Photo: Al Ahram) Boushra Rozza, the COO of El Gouna Film Festival during the press conference (Photo: Al Ahram) El Gouna Film Festival's founder Naguib Sawiris, during the press conference (Photo: Al Ahram) El Gouna Film Festival poster For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
