6th El Gouna Film Festival Sets Dates for Its return in December with Pro-Palestine Program

The sixth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has unveiled new dates following two postponements.

GFF, which had been gearing up for a comeback edition after a one-year hiatus, was initially slated for October 13 to 20 due to the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza. It later shifted from October 27 to November 2.

The festival was postponed indefinitely a few days later, with the organizers announcing that they would donate EGP 5 million ($161,000) to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, in partnership with the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development and the Egyptian Red Crescent Society.

Now the festival is set to return with a special edition from December 14-21. 

This edition will include a special program dedicated to Palestinian cinema, in collaboration with the Palestine Film Institute, aiming to shed light on the current situation and inhumane conditions in Gaza.

It will be held without any celebrations, reaffirming the festival's solidarity with the Palestinian people during these trying times.

Additionally, a fundraising dinner is planned to gather donations for humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent during the festival.

GFF is held annually in the Egyptian Red Sea Resort of El Gouna. The coastal town is not geographically close to Egypt’s border with Gaza, but tensions have been running high in the country and across the entire Middle East region following Saturday’s attack.

El Gouna’s lineup this year includes tributes to Egyptian director Marwan Hamed, the Sudanese Film Group, and Jane Birkin.