The Egyptian film hub’s 2026 lineup features over 80 films, a new TV development pilot, and targeted funding for Egyptian and displaced MENA filmmakers.
CAIRO — The Gouna Film Festival (GFF) is gearing up for its ninth edition with a heavily expanded industry footprint, bridging festival screenings with robust project development, new funding channels, and talent incubator initiatives.
Slated to run October 15–23, 2026, in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, this year’s festival will feature a lineup of more than 80 feature narratives, documentaries, and shorts from around the globe, alongside 35 industry events under its professional arm, the CineGouna Platform.
Organizers unveiled the key highlights of the upcoming edition during a press conference in Cairo, confirming that Egyptian star Mona Zaki will receive the festival’s prestigious Creative Achievement Award in recognition of her influential career.
Expanding the Industry Hub: CineGouna Series & Targeted Funds
A key highlight of the ninth edition is the expansion of the CineGouna Platform, which introduces the pilot edition of CineGouna Series, featuring six Arab television projects in development. Meanwhile, CineGouna’s core film production support program received over 310 submissions across its development and post-production tracks.
To further bolster regional storytelling, the platform is launching two strategic funding initiatives:
Egyptian Voices: A grant program designed to support home-grown Egyptian filmmakers.
Safe Harbour MENA: An emergency support fund dedicated to MENA filmmakers facing political risks, censorship, or forced displacement.
The accompanying CineGouna Market will host match-making sessions, one-on-one producer meetings, and tech panels focusing on the evolving role of artificial intelligence in film production.
Empowering Next-Gen Talent
The festival’s CineGouna Emerging Talents program saw overwhelming interest this year, receiving over 1,000 applications. A final cohort of 118 participants representing 14 nationalities was selected for hands-on mentorship, masterclasses, and industry networking.
Additionally, the CineGouna Forum will host roughly 35 panel discussions tackling pressing contemporary topics—including AI integration, gender dynamics at the box office, and narrative ownership rights—alongside headline “In Conversation” sessions with Mona Zaki and acclaimed Egyptian auteur Youssef Nasrallah.
Cinema for Humanity & Accessibility
Under its long-standing banner “Cinema for Humanity,” GFF is deepening its commitment to social impact and accessibility. Through a partnership with the Sawiris Foundation’s Together Inclusive initiative, the festival venue and central Plaza area are being retrofitted to meet international accessibility standards for people with disabilities, setting a precedent for cultural events across the region.
“Since day one, our primary vision was to give storytellers the platform to tell their own stories,” said Samih Sawiris, founder of the festival. Executive Director Amr Mansi echoed the sentiment, emphasizing GFF’s commitment to championing human-centric stories and championing filmmakers across the Arab world.
Head of Programming Andrew Mohsen highlighted the program’s curation this year, pointing to a strong, diverse lineup with a heightened focus on Arab cinema, backed by an enriched suite of industry workshops and panel talks.
By aligning screenings, project development, financing, and talent incubation under one roof, El Gouna’s ninth edition solidifies its position as both a premier regional showcase and an essential engine shaping the future of MENA cinema.
