In its fifth edition, GFF will also introduce a special award for environmental films to be included in its $234,000 total cash prize.
El Gouna Film Festival is inviting entries to its upcoming fifth edition, scheduled to take place from October 14-22, 2021 in the resort town of El Gouna. The deadline for submissions is August 15, 2021.
Speaking about the GFF, Festival Director Intishal Al Timimi commented: “Despite the enormous challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, our festival became the first public cultural event to be held in the MENA region during these trying times. We remain committed to making our fifth edition a hub for the most attractive and powerful cinematic productions.”
GFF secures its place as an artistic leader in the region, with steadily growing support from the cinematic community and film industry professionals. Year after year, the festival witnesses a growing number of film submissions. These films, together with others selected from international festivals, enable the programming team to curate a unique cinematic selection that is the cornerstone of the festival’s success and its growing impact.
GFF’s programme is divided into the Feature Narrative Competition, the Feature Documentary Competition, the Short Film Competition, the Official Selection out of Competition and Special Presentations. This year GFF will also introduce a special award for environmental films to be included in its US $234,000 total cash prize.
Artistic Director Amir Ramses added: “Five years and nearly 300 films shaped our special bond with the filmmakers and audiences. I think that today our programme left its mark, in the region and around the world, by constantly attracting the finest internationally acclaimed films and prospective cinematic productions and talented voices; reaffirming our role in supporting the industry, even during the challenging times we faced in 2020. We are eager to continue our journey by presenting a distinguished film selection in our forthcoming edition.”
GFF will continue to host the FIPRESCI as well as NETPAC juries. For the second year, GFF will present the Khaled Bichara Award for Egyptian Independent Filmmakers. The award, which was inaugurated during the fourth edition of GFF, aims to commemorate the name of the late Khaled Bichara as a pre-eminent example for leaders and thinkers.
