Intishal Al Timimi, who has led the festival from the start, returns as festival director.
El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has announced its return for a sixth edition from October 13 to 20, 2023 after a one-year hiatus.
The event will take place in the Red Sea resort town between October 13-20, while the festival’s industry arm, the CineGouna Platform, will run October 15-19.
The festival’s artistic director Intishal Al-Timimi said in a statement that the one-year break also “allowed GFF’s management to reflect on the artistic and organisational aspects of the festival and to focus on consolidating the role GFF has played so far in the development of the film industry regionally and internationally,” the festive said.
The festival will continue to be held under the patronage of El Gouna Founder, Engineer Samih Sawiris, and will be presented by Orascom Development, a developer of fully integrated destinations in Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with the support of festival founder, Engineer Naguib Sawiris.
Speaking about the sixth edition, Samih Sawiris said: “I believe that El Gouna Film Festival has been an important artistic, creative, and cinematic activity in the region. I am committed to nurturing it so that it may continue to contribute to spurring the growth of film and filmmakers: locally, regionally and globally. With the return of the festival, I renew my faith in the belief that the arts and creativity are critical to the development of society. I am excited that El Gouna will continue to be the home of one of our most constructive cultural endeavours.”
GFF announced that festival co-founder and entrepreneur Amr Mansi has been appointed the event’s Executive Director. The appointment was in line with the festival’s mission to offer its delegates, guests and participants a productive experience which in turn will grow and strengthen its role as a catalyst for the development of the industry in the region.
Amr Mansi added: “I am excited for this year’s edition, which will be a milestone in the festival’s history. We are determined to create an unforgettable experience for all stakeholders and set a high standard for future editions. The El Gouna Film Festival is a testament to Egypt’s dedication to the film industry and its potential to make an impact on the global stage.”
Mansi succeeds Amal El Masri, who served as the festival’s Executive Director during the fourth and fifth editions.
Samih Sawiris stated: “I would like to thank Amal for the significant role she played and for her great contributions. during the past two editions of the festival.”
The festival was founded in 2017 by the Sawiris brothers, along with actress and producer Bushra Rozza, film producer Kamal Zadeh and entrepreneur Amr Mansi.
Intishal Timimi commented: “After five successful editions, we wanted to take some time to re-evaluate the programme and explore all our options and reflect on how best to take the festival forward. We now return, totally re-energised, and inspired to resume our past efforts to encourage the development of the industry in the region.”
