El Gouna Film Festival has updated its industry platform CineGouna (October 25-31) to provide increased support for regional filmmakers.
Now in its seventh edition, the CineGouna platform includes CineGouna Funding (formerly CineGouna Springboard) to support Arab projects in development and post-production; CineGouna Forum (formerly CineGouna Bridge) which offers professional development through industry discussions, masterclasses and workshops; and CineGouna Market, which features 22 exhibitors in this year’s sophomore edition.
In addition, the newly-launched CineGouna Shorts supports short filmmakers through talent development and a funding competition. And the CineGouna Emerge programme, now in its second edition, is hosting 200 emerging filmmakers from Egypt.
“El Gouna tries to compensate for the lack of national film funds in some Arab countries,” notes Ahmed Shawky, head of CineGouna Funding, on this strengthened commitment to local filmmakers. “Except for Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Morocco most Arab countries don’t have a stable cinema fund, and the economic crisis exacerbates the situation.
“We are planting a seed. While [a funding award] may not cover an entire film budget, it provides the necessary recognition to push the project forward.”
CineGouna has supported various award-winning films over the past few years, including Souad by Ayten Amin; Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky; Goodbye Julia by Mohamed Kordofani; and The Brink of Dreams by Ayman El Amir and Nada Riyadh.
“CineGouna has a long list of more than 20 films to be proud of, all well received at international festivals around the world”, says Shawky.
Wide variety
This year’s CineGouna Funding features a total of 21 projects, 13 in development and eight in post-production — an increase on last year’s line-up of 18. “Arab and international experts were added to the selection committee which helped us include a wider variety of promising projects,” notes Shawky.
The selected projects represent stories from 13 different Arab countries, including A Pair of Shoes In The Dark Corner Of The Moon from Egyptian filmmaker Ayman El Amir. It is produced by Nada Riyadh, El Amir’s co-director on Cannes Golden Eye award-winning documentary The Brink Of Dreams.
Another selected project is Amara by Lebanese filmmaker Michelle Keserwany who, in 2023, won Berlin’s Golden Bear for Best Short Film alongside her sister Noel for Les Chenilles.
These projects compete for nearly $400,000 in cash and supporting services awards, from partners including MBC Studios & MBC Academy and the Red Sea Fund. “The festival started with only $140,000, but we were able to attract 30 partners and secure more funding cash grants and invitations from top-tier festivals and industry markets,” explains Shawky.
CineGouna also awards two cash prizes of $15,000 for the best projects in development and post-production. The jury comprises Sudanese director and producer Amjad Abu Alala, known for You Will Die at 20 and Goodbye Julia; Tunisian film critic Lamia Guiga, artistic director of Carthage Film Festival; and Nadia Dresti, founder of Locarno Pro.
Targeted support
This year’s mentor for CineGouna Funding’s projects is American screenwriter Paul Foley, a professor at the School Of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California (USC) who has previously worked for Disney, Universal and Warner Bros.
“The mentoring programme needed to become more focused, as having three mentors in past editions was not the best option,” notes Shawky of the decision to have a single mentor working to help the filmmakers develop and promote their projects. The mentoring programme is now sponsored by Alamiya Filmed Entertainment (AFE), a studio based in Dubai, Riyadh and LA.
With the MENA region grappling with significant conflicts, the festival’s support is more valuable than ever. “This year’s selection features projects from crisis-affected countries including Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Libya and Sudan,” notes Shawky. “Even if their films are not directly about the ongoing conflicts, they often offer insight into the current conditions in Arab countries.”
CineGouna Forum specifically addressed this issue in a panel titled ‘Eyes On: Cinema in Conflict’, supported by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), providing filmmakers with the opportunity to discuss the challenges they face.
CineGouna Funding Projects 2024
IN DEVELOPMENT: FEATURE NARRATIVE
A Pair of Shoes in the Dark Corner of the Moon (Egypt)
Dir: Ayman El Amir.
Al-Madeeneh 2008 (Yemen)
Dir: Yousef Assabahi
Amara (Den-Fr-Leb-Jordan)
Dir: Michelle Keserwany
Leila’s Trial (Fr)
Dir: Charlie Kouka
Running with Beasts (Cz-Leb)
Dir: Leila Basma
The Guardian (Algeria)
Dir: Muhannad Lamin
The Masters of Magic and Beauty (Egypt)
Dir: Jad Chahine.
IN DEVELOPMENT: FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Dwellers of the Cabins (Egypt-Qatar)
Dir: Hend Bakr.
Elsewhere (Sweden)
Dir: Issraa Elkogali Häggström.
House No. 7 (Syria-Qatar)
Dir: Rama Abdy.
Remind Me to Forget (Saudi Arabia)
Dir: Lama Jamjoom.
The Cow Thief (Egypt)
Dirrector: Mohamed Zedan.
The Myth of Mahmoud (Qatar-Pal)
Dirs: Mayar Hamdan, Shaima Al Tamimi.
POST-PRODUCTION: FEATURE NARRATIVE
Exile (Tunisia)
Dir: Mehdi Hmili.
In This Darkness I See You (Leb-Fr-Qatar-Saudi Arabia)
Dir: Nadim Tabet.
The Meursault Investigation (Algeria-Fr-Switz)
Dir: Malek Bensmaïl.
The Settlement (Egypt-Fr-Ger-Qatar-Saudi Arabia)
Dir: Mohamed Rashad.
POST-PRODUCTION: FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
La Vie D’Apres (Life After Siham (Fr)
Dir: Namir Abdel Messeeh.
My Father and Qaddafi (US-Libya)
Dir: Jihan.
Son of the Streets (Pal-Pol-Qatar-Saudi Arabia-Leb)
Dir: Mohammed Almughanni.
Those Who Watch Over (Belg-Fr-Qatar)
Dir: Karima Saïdi.
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