Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival concluded its ninth edition after running for nine days. More than 320 projects applied for CineGouna Funding, which includes the Funding, Forum, Market, and Emerge components.
Nineteen selected projects received more than $350,000 across 40 awards. Participants held more than 140 one-on-one meetings during the festival.
Amr Mansi stated, "We want the industry to be our hero." The festival featured Egyptian Voices and an inaugural Series lab, where six projects were selected.
Mariam Naoum noted the presence of "great, great talents" and mentioned "three or four platforms." The first Safe Harbour MENA program brought four filmmakers displaced within the region into a program, while Ahmed Hassouna remains in Gaza.
Safe Exit won the top prize. Cinema on Wheels is taking three shorts on a free screening tour that includes Hurghada, Minya, Qena, Luxor, and Aswan before concluding in Cairo.
Ziad Srouji remarked, "Specificity travels, generic does not." Mariam Abou Ouf said the situation is "approaching a deadlock."
