The El Gouna Film Festival (GFF; Egyptian Arabic: مهرجان الجونة السينمائي) is an annual film festival established in 2017, held in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, Egypt.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The inaugural festival started September 22, 2017.[2][7] The psychological thriller Scary Mother, by Georgian first-time director Ana Urushadze, took the Golden Star, the festival's top feature film competition prize.[8][7][9][10] Oscar-winning actor-director Forest Whitaker was feted with a lifetime achievement award.[11]
| Location | El Gouna, Egypt |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Most recent | 2023 |
| Language | Egyptian Arabic English |
Awards edit
Feature Narrative Competition edit
- El Gouna Gold Star for a Narrative Film
(Trophy, Certificate and USD 50,000)
- El Gouna Silver Star for Narrative Film
(Trophy, Certificate and USD 25,000)
- El Gouna Bronze Star Narrative Film
(Certificate, Trophy and USD 15,000)
- El Gouna Star for Best Arab Narrative Film
(Trophy, Certificate and USD 20,000)
- El Gouna Star for Best Actor
(Trophy and Certificate)
- El Gouna Star for Best Actress
(Trophy and Certificate)
Feature Documentary Competition edit
- El Gouna Gold Star for a Documentary Film
(Trophy, Certificate and USD 30,000)
- El Gouna Silver Star for Documentary Film
(Trophy, Certificate and USD 15,000)
- El Gouna Bronze Star Documentary Film
(Trophy, Certificate and USD 7,500)
- El Gouna Star for Best Arab Documentary Film
(Trophy, Certificate and USD 10,000)
2017 Winners edit
Feature Narrative competition edit
Golden Star: Scary Mother, Ana Urushadze
Silver Star: The Insult, Ziad Dower
Bronze Star: Arrhythmia, Boris Khlebnikov
Golden Star for Best Arabic Feature Film: Photocopy, Tamer Ashry
Best Actress: Nadia Kounda, Volubilis
Best Actor: Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Zama[8]
Cinema For Humanity Audience Award: Soufra, Thomas Morgan
Documentary competition edit
Golden Star: I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck
Silver Star: Brimstone and Glory, Viktor Jakovleski
Bronze Star: Mrs Fang, Wang Bing
Golden Star For Best Arabic Documentary: I Have a Picture, Mohamed Zedan[12]
Short Film competition edit
Golden Star: Nightshade, Shady El-Hamus
Silver Star: Merry-Go-Round, Ruslan Bratov
Bronze Star: Mama Bobo, Robin Andelfinger and Ibrahima Seydi
El Gouna Star for Best Arab Short Film: Punchline, Christophe M. Saber[13]
2018 Winners edit
Feature Narrative competition edit
Golden Star: A Land Imagined, Yeo Siew Hua
Silver Star: Ray & Liz, Richard Billingham
Bronze Star: The Heiresses, Marcelo Martinessi
El Gouna Star for Best Arabic Narrative Film: Yomeddine, A.B. Shawky
Special Mention: The Man Who Surprised Everyone, Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov
Best Actress: Joanna Kulig, Cold War
Best Actor: Mohamed Dhrif, Dear Son
Cinema for Humanity Audience Award: Another Day Of Life; Raúl De La Fuente, Damian Nenow and Yomeddine, A.B. Shawky (joint winners)
Feature Documentary competition edit
Golden Star: Aquarela, Victor Kossakovsky
Silver Star: Of Fathers and Sons, Talal Derki
Bronze Star: The Swing, Cyril Aris
El Gouna Star for Best Arab Documentary Film: Of Fathers and Sons, Talal Derki
Short Film competition edit
Golden Star: Our Song To War, Juanita Onzaga
Silver Star: Judgement, Raymund Ribay Gutierrez
Bronze Star: Sheikh's Watermelons, Kaouther Ben Hania
El Gouna Star for Best Arab Short Film: EyeBrows, Tamer Ashry[14]
2019 Winners edit
Feature Narrative competition edit
Golden Star: You Will Die at Twenty, Amjad Abu Alala
Silver Star: Corpus Christi, Jan Komasa
Bronze Star: Adam, Maryam Touzani
El Gouna Star for Best Arabic Narrative Film: Papicha, Mounia Meddour
Best Actress: Hend Sabry, Noura's Dream
Best Actor: Bartosz Bielenia, Corpus Christi
Cinema for Humanity Audience Award: Les Misérables, Ladj Ly
FIPRESCI Award: 1982, Oualid Mouaness
Feature Documentary competition edit
Golden Star: Talking About Trees, Suhaib Gasmelbari
Silver Star: 143 Sahara Street, Hassen Ferhani
Bronze Star: Kabul, City in the Wind, Aboozar Amini
El Gouna Star for Best Arab Documentary Film: Ibrahim: A Fate to Define, Lina Alabed
NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film: Kabul, City in the Wind, Aboozar Amini
Short Film competition edit
Golden Star: Exam, Sonia K. Haddad
Silver Star: Ome, Wassim Geagea
Bronze Star: Flesh, Camila Kater
El Gouna Star for Best Arab Short Film: Give Up the Ghost, Zain Duraie
Special Jury Mention: 16 December, Álvaro Gago Díaz[15]
2021 Winners edit
Feature Narrative competition edit
Golden Star: The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic, Teemu Nikki
Silver Star: Sun Down, Michel Franco
Bronze Star: Captain Volkongov Escaped, Aleksey Chupov, Natasha Merkulova
El Gouna Star for Best Arabic Narrative Film: Feathers, Omar El Zohairy
Best Actress: Petri Poikolainen, Playground
Best Actor: Perri Poikonainen, The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic
Cinema for Humanity Audience Award: Ostrove: Lost Island, Svetlana Rodina, Laurent Stoop
FIPRESCI Award: Costa Brava, Mounia Akl
Feature Documentary competition edit
Golden Star: Life of Ivana, Renato Borrayo Serrano
Silver Star: Ostrov - Lost Island, Svetlana Rodina, Laurent Stoop
Bronze Star: Sabaya, Hogir Hirori
El Gouna Star for Best Arab Documentary Film: Captains of Za’atari, Ali El Arabi
NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film: Captain Volkongov Escaped, Aleksey Chupov, Natasha Merkulova
Short Film competition edit
Golden Star: Katia, Andrey Natotcinskiy
Silver Star: Holy Son, Aliosha Massine
Bronze Star: On Solid Ground, Jela Hasler
El Gouna Star for Best Arab Short Film: Cai-Ber, Ahmed Abdelsalam
Special Mention: actress Aisha Al Rifae for Nour Shams directed by Faiza Ambah[16]
Side events edit
Pitching Session: CinemaTech by Gemini Africa[17][18] [19] [20] [21] [22][23]
Gemini Africa is an EgyptIan company extending into Africa and the Middle East for tech startups in an entrepreneurial pitching event under Cinematech’s track.[24]
CinemaTech is the first entrepreneurial track bridging the gap between entrepreneurship and filmmaking, with the aim of uplifting the industry by injecting technological solutions offered by startups.[25][26]
References edit
- ^ "El Gouna Film Festival kicks off its first edition in Egypt". English.alarabiya.net. 2017-09-23. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ a b "5th El-Gouna Film Festival kicks off on October 14". EgyptToday. 2021-10-14. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ "Highlights from the upcoming Gouna Film Festival's 5th edition - Film - Arts & Culture". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ Joly, Josephine (2021-10-15). "Egypt's El Gouna Film Festival kicks off against the odds". euronews. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ "Feature: Egypt's El Gouna Film Festival revives tourism in famed Red Sea resort - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ "El Gouna Film Festival". ArabicPod101. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ a b "El Gouna Film Festival Facts and News Updates". newsR. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ a b Vivarelli, Nick (2017-09-29). "'Scary Mother' Takes Top Nod at Egypt's Inaugural El Gouna Fest". Variety.comy. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
- ^ "Egyptian movie 'Photocopy' wins best Arabic Feature at Gouna Film Festival". Egypt Independent. 2017-09-30. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ "El Gouna Film Profile – 'Scary Mother' (Sashishi Deda)". EgyptToday. 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (13 September 2017). "Forest Whitaker to Be Feted by Egypt's New El Gouna Film Festival; Lineup Announced (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.com. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "El-Gouna Film Festival reveals its awards - Daily News Egypt". DAilynewsegypt.com. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "The First Edition of El Gouna Film Festival Concludes with Huge Aspirations For MENA and Worldwide Cinema". El Gouna Film Festival. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ "El Gouna international film festival wraps". Euro News. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ "3rd El Gouna Film Festivals announces the winners". Ahram Online. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ "5th El Gouna Film Festival awards: 'The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic' wins Golden Star". Ahram Online. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ "CINEGOUNA BRIDGE PROGRAM". elgouna film festival.
- ^ "GEMINI CINEMATECH TRACK". geminiafrica.com.
- ^ "أمينة خليل وصبا مبارك فى جلسة عرض المشاريع سينما تيك بالجونة.. صور". اليوم السابع (in Arabic). اليوم السابع. اليوم السابع. 15 October 2021.
- ^ "صور- مهرجان الجونة .. أمينة خليل تختار الفائز بجائزة أفضل مشروع فى سينماتيك". www.mobtada.com (in Arabic). mobtada. 15 October 2021.
- ^ akhbarelyom, Developed By team (16 October 2021). "الحلول التكنولوجية ودورها الفعال في تسهيل صناعة السينما بـ«جسر الجونة»| صور". بوابة اخبار اليوم. akhbarelyom.
- ^ "مسابقة سينماتك تعلن أسماء الفائزين في مهرجان الجونة السينمائي - بوابة الشروق". www.shorouknews.com (in Arabic). shorouknews.
- ^ "مهرجان الجونة السينمائي.. تعرف على الفائزين في مسابقة سينماتك". www.albawabhnews.com. albawabhnews. 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Inside Gemini Africa's Radical CinemaTech Track". Startupscene. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ^ "Linking Entrepreneurship With Cinema — Meet Adly Thoma | 925 | The first online magazine of its kind in Egypt". 925. 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ^ "The birth of CinemaTech in Egypt". Business Forward AUC. 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2022-08-21.