Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Elyanna to Perform at Opening Ceremony of 6th El Gouna Film Festival


Wed 13 Dec 2023 | 11:00 PM
Elyanna
Elyanna
Yara Sameh

Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter, Elyanna, whose real name is Elian Marjieh, will perform at the opening ceremony of the 6th edition of El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) on December 14.

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.

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.

The 6th El Gouna Film Festival concludes on December 21.