When the El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) made its debut on Egypt’s Red Sea coast in 2017, it immediately caught the world’s eye. The flashing cameras, the jaw-dropping gowns, the cool, sea breeze — GFF arrived as Egypt’s answer to Cannes, sparkle and spectacle included. But beneath that shimmer, something else was quietly being built. Eight editions later, the 10-day-long festival has grown into one of the Arab world’s most ambitious cinematic gatherings, and this year, themed “Cinema for Humanity,” it felt like the festival finally came into its own.
“When I joined, the festival already had strong foundations,” Marianne Khoury, GFF’s artistic director, told MILLE. “But the media focused mostly on the glamor. You need glamor— you can’t have a festival without it— but the most important thing is the films.”
That shift in focus defined this year’s edition. The lineup brought together some of the most celebrated films on the global circuit: It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning reflection on truth and power; Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, Grand Prix winner at Cannes; Norway’s Dreams-Sex Love, which claimed the Golden Bear at Berlinale; and Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, starring Andrew Scott. Add to that Raoul Peck’s sharp new documentary Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5, and it was clear the festival had moved far beyond its early preoccupation with prestige toward ideas, questions, and conscience.
View this post on Instagram
“Each of these films carries a moral heartbeat,” Khoury said. “That’s what we look for now — cinema that lingers, that unsettles, that makes people think.”
That conscience was embodied by this year’s guest of honor, Cate Blanchett, who attended as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and received the festival’s Champion of Humanity Award. Her presence reframed what red-carpet glamor could mean. “Cate came without taking a fee,” festival CEO and co-founder Amr Mansi told MILLE. “She believed in what this festival stands for — that glamor can coexist with humanity.”
The festival’s humanitarian lens ran throughout its programming. The Window on Palestine section returned with expanded screenings; school programs were added to introduce cinema to children from the local community; and outreach initiatives paired screenings with workshops on empathy, storytelling, and belonging.
“El Gouna is a small, closed city,” Khoury explained. “You have to think about who lives here, from schoolchildren to retirees. We’re not just creating audiences; we’re cultivating future storytellers.”
That belief in accessibility is what shaped Emerge, one of Khoury’s proudest projects. “We started with 200 Egyptian participants who thought a festival was just parties and selfies,” she told MILLE with a laugh. “But once you’re here, you realize it’s early mornings, long queues, endless screenings. It’s hard, but, beautiful work.”
Originally limited to Egyptians working in film and sound, Emerge has since expanded to include participants from across Africa and the Middle East, and now welcomes actors through the new Rising Stars track. “It’s growing every year,” Khoury said. “They’re not just learning to make films — they’re learning to live inside cinema.”
For Mansi, the festival’s success is inseparable from its setting. “The recipe starts with the destination,” he said. “El Gouna is compact and connected. Everything is nearby, from screenings and talks to events. That intimacy makes collaboration natural.”
But geography is only part of the story. “We’re a young, vibrant team that loves to experiment,” he added. “Innovation is in our DNA, but what truly matters is substance and a sense of purpose. That’s what keeps the festival alive.”
That vitality now defines the town itself. “When we started, people said El Gouna was too exclusive,” Mansi recalled. “Now, with more than 6,000 industry accreditations, it’s more open than ever. The festival feeds back into the local economy, including the hotels, the restaurants, and the small shops. It’s becoming truly public.”
This year’s edition was arguably the liveliest yet. Screenings sold out within hours; panels overflowed; and the open-air plaza buzzed late into the night. “It’s the most vibrant year we’ve had,” Khoury told MILLE. “Everything feels alive— the screenings, the panels, even the late-night debates.”
View this post on Instagram
That energy is the culmination of years of quiet work. After the 2023 relaunch, which coincided with the Gaza conflict, this edition became a test of endurance. “The puzzle we’ve been building finally came together,” Mansi said. “The festival matured, and the world noticed.”
The festival’s growing influence is now reflected in its jury lineups and partnerships. GFF’s CineGouna Platform continues to support projects that later premiere at Cannes and Venice, while jurors this year included veterans from Locarno, Toronto, and Berlin. “We’ve become part of the international conversation,” Khoury said.
Still, both Mansi and Khoury insist that El Gouna’s strength lies in its local soul. “The goal is to make it accessible to everyone,” Khoury added. “Like Venice, where 30,000 people come for ten days and the whole city breathes cinema.”
For Mansi, the next step is simple, and ambitious. “I see El Gouna becoming one of the most important film festivals in the world,” he told MILLE. “The potential is here. We’re building something lasting.”
Khoury echoed the sentiment with a softer tone. “What matters most,” she said, “is to keep our sense of humanity and to remember why we love cinema in the first place.”
As the lights dim over the Red Sea and audiences spill out of sold-out theatres, that vision feels closer than ever. The El Gouna Film Festival may have begun as a glamorous newcomer, but with this year’s edition— rich in art, activism, and authenticity— it has finally found its voice.
The post How the 8th El Gouna Film Festival Found Its Voice appeared first on MILLE WORLD.
