The Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has announced the first ten titles selected for its ninth edition, scheduled to take place from October 15 to 23, 2026. The initial lineup offers an exclusive first look at a program highlighting bold works from acclaimed directors alongside rising international auteurs.
Positioned as one of the Middle East’s leading cinematic hubs, GFF continues to expand horizons for both film professionals and local audiences, serving as a vital bridge connecting regional filmmakers with the global industry.
“These ten films resonate deeply with one another through shared themes of family and identity,” said Andrew Mohsen, Artistic Director of the Gouna Film Festival. “Our programming team began tracking the year’s most compelling titles early on, and we eagerly await the reactions of our audience.”
The first ten announced titles include:
- FATHERLAND (Poland, Germany, Italy, France) Dir. Paweł Pawlikowski Languages: German, English, French, Russian | 82 mins From the Oscar-winning director of Ida (2013) and Cold War (which screened at GFF in 2017) comes a striking portrait of identity, family, love, and guilt set against the backdrop of post-war European turmoil. Accolades: Winner, Best Director (tied), Cannes Film Festival.
- HOLD ONTO ME (Cyprus, Denmark, Greece) Dir. Myrsini Aristidou (Feature Debut) Language: Greek | 102 mins An 11-year-old girl searches for her estranged father—a man she barely knows—and gradually begins building a fragile, imperfect relationship with him. Accolades: Winner, Audience Award (World Cinema Dramatic), Sundance Film Festival.
- THE GARDEN WE DREAMED (Mexico) Dir. JoaquÃn Del Paso Languages: Spanish, Haitian Creole | 102 mins Seeking a better future, a Haitian family settles in a Mexican forest shaped by illegal logging, finding fragile moments of love and resilience amid a fractured reality. Accolades: Winner, Biznaga de Oro for Best Ibero-American Film, Biznaga de Plata for Best Director, and Biznaga de Plata for Best Cinematography (Gökhan Tiryaki) at the Málaga Film Festival. Official Selection, Berlin International Film Festival.
- YELLOW LETTERS (Germany, France) Dir. İlker Çatak Language: Turkish | 128 mins The marriage of two prominent artists reaches a breaking point when an incident during the opening night of their joint theatrical performance draws intense political target marks. Accolades: Winner, Golden Bear, Berlin International Film Festival.
- ROSE (Austria, Germany) Dir. Markus Schleinzer Language: German | 93 mins A stranger manages to enter a war-devastated village, introducing himself as a hardworking, devout new farmer while hiding a daring deception that lies at the core of his claimed identity. Accolades: Winner, Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance (Sandra Hüller), Berlin International Film Festival.
- THE GUEST (Denmark) Dir. Mads Mengel (Feature Debut) Language: Danish | 100 mins Two new parents gather to announce the name of their newborn child, but their evening takes an unexpected turn when the father’s estranged mother appears unannounced. Accolades: Winner, Best Director and Special Jury Prize, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
- AMERICAN DOCTOR (U.S., Palestine, Malaysia, Qatar, Denmark) Dir. Poh Si Teng (Feature Debut) Languages: English, Arabic | 93 mins Three American doctors from different backgrounds enter Gaza to save lives, only to find themselves risking everything to reveal the truth on the ground. Poh Si Teng previously produced the Oscar-nominated St. Louis Superman and served as executive producer on the Emmy-winning documentary The Practice (2024). Accolades: Winner, Amnesty International Award and Peter Wintonick Audience Award, Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival.
- ALL OF A SUDDEN (France, Japan, Germany, Belgium) Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi Languages: French, Japanese | 195 mins The manager of a nursing home in the Parisian suburbs attempts to implement a humanistic care methodology known as “Humanitude” despite institutional resistance. Her world shifts after meeting Mari Morisaki, a terminally ill Japanese playwright. Accolades: Winner, Best Actress (tied between Virginie Efira and Towa Owamoto), Cannes Film Festival.
- QUEEN AT SEA (U.K., U.S.) Dir. Lance Hammer Languages: English, French | 121 mins Starring Juliette Binoche, the film explores an impossible question as a mother’s dementia worsens: who decides what is best for her? A family is pushed beyond its breaking point in this emotional drama. Accolades: Winner, Jury Grand Prix (Silver Bear) and Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance (Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall), Berlin International Film Festival.
- WHO KILLED ALEX ODEH? (U.S.) Dir. William Lavie Yeomans, Jason Osder Languages: English, Hebrew, Arabic | 83 mins Four decades after the bombing that killed Palestinian-American community activist Alex Odeh, a journalist reopens the cold case, unearthing sealed records and political forces behind an unresolved political assassination. Accolades: Winner, Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression and Non-Fiction Producers Award, Sundance Film Festival.
Festival organizers noted that additional film titles, panel discussions, and industry initiatives under the CineGouna Platform will be announced in the coming weeks.
