GOUAN, EGYPT — In an industry where public scrutiny often turns toxic, the Gouna Film Festival (GFF) is taking a firm stand against online harassment. Amid a digital landscape where the festival itself, along with its attending stars, routinely faces relentless social media bullying and cyberabuse, GFF has partnered with the Egyptian Actors Guild and tech giant Meta to champion a pioneering digital safety initiative titled “CUT.”
Officialized on the sidelines of the festival’s ninth edition through a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the campaign aims to raise awareness about digital risks and encourage safer, more responsible online habits across the Arab world.
The core of the awareness push relies on three hard-hitting short films highlighting various facets of digital abuse—including AI-generated deepfakes, privacy breaches, and impersonation scams. Starring prominent Egyptian talents Riham Abdel Ghafour, Mohamed Farag, and Yasmina El-Abd, each film delves into the raw human cost of digital harassment. To maximize impact and directly engage audiences where the friction is felt most, GFF is embedding these films as mandatory pre-show screenings before every single movie played throughout the festival’s duration, in addition to broadcasting them across GFF, Guild, and celebrity social channels.
Signed by Dr. Ashraf Zaki, Head of the Egyptian Actors Guild, and Mohamed Omar, Regional Head of Established Talent Partnerships at Meta MENA, in the presence of GFF Co-founder and Executive Director Amr Mansi, the initiative repurposes the cinematic cue “CUT” into a urgent social call to halt the spread of harmful digital content.
“Protecting an artist goes beyond their professional rights; it extends to safeguarding their dignity and privacy in the digital realm,” emphasized Dr. Ashraf Zaki. “While constructive criticism is a legitimate right, abuse, bullying, and invasion of privacy must never be the price of fame or success.”
Addressing GFF’s decisive role, Amr Mansi reiterated the festival’s commitment to cultivating a safer online environment, particularly for creators who bear the brunt of digital toxicity. “In today’s world, it is crucial to heighten public awareness regarding digital risks and their real-world impact on individuals’ daily lives,” Mansi stated. “This initiative will help people realize the tangible consequences of what they might sometimes dismiss as harmless online banter. We must amplify awareness around this issue and remind everyone that we all have a role to play in ending digital hazards.”
Beyond public messaging, the agreement establishes a direct escalated safety pathway between the Egyptian Actors Guild and Meta, allowing expedited review and evaluation of digital threats and safety issues targeting Guild members according to Meta’s community standards.
By leveraging the power of cinema and making digital safety front-and-center before every screening, El Gouna Film Festival transforms its platform into a shield for artistic expression and online respect.
Published by: October 18, 2026
