Bosnian director Jasmila Zbanic (“Quo Vadis, Aida?”) will preside over the principle jury of the sixth version of Egypt’s El Gouna Movie Pageant, which has introduced its full lineup, that includes a wealthy mixture of Arabic and worldwide titles making their Center East premieres as they compete for prime prizes.
Following a one-year hiatus, the Oct. 13-20 occasion held within the Pink Sea resort about 250 miles south of Cairo is again in full swing with founder and director Intishal Al Timimi firmly on the helm bolstered by broadly revered Egyptian producer-director Marianne Khoury within the creative director chair.
Alongside a roster of beforehand introduced worldwide pageant circuit standouts competing for El Gouna awards, akin to Justine Triet’s Cannes Palm d’Or-winning “Anatomy of a Fall,” Todd Haynes’ “Could December” and Luc Besson’s “Dogman,” which was introduced immediately, the brand new Arabic additions to El Gouna’s competitors choice comprise the world premiere of French-Iraqi director Leila Al Bayaty’s “From Abdul to Leila,” which offers with the scars of Saddam Hussein’s regime; Egyptian director Ayten Amin’s comedy “The Shanabs,” a couple of funeral in Alexandria which prompts some humorous conditions; and Moroccan director Leïla Kilani’s “Birdland (Indivision),” set in El Mansouria, close to Tangier, which mixes household melodrama and social fable components.
Competitors entries at El Gouna will compete for prizes price a complete of $110,000 in money.
Al Timini, in an announcement, underlined that because the fest continues, it’s constructing on “gathered experiences but in addition injecting new concepts and views.” On this respect “Marianne [Khoury] brings together with her an distinctive data of the worldwide movie trade in addition to a deep relationship with the regional and native movie neighborhood,” he mentioned.
The El Gouna workforce this 12 months can be being bolstered by the inclusion of Egyptian critics and programmers Andrew Mohsen and Mouwafak Chourbagui to the programming workforce. Moreover, one other well-respected Egyptian critic, Ahmed Shawky – who was just lately elected new president of the Worldwide Federation of Movie Critics (FIPRESCI) – has joined El Gouna to handle the CineGouna SpringBoard mission growth and co-production lab, whereas Youssef El Shazli, co-founder of Cairo-based arthouse cinema Zawya Cinema, is now managing the expanded CineGouna Bridge, that includes grasp courses and workshops devoted to fostering dialogue between Arab filmmakers and their worldwide counterparts.
The fest’s trade arm, the CineGouna Platform, will run Oct. 15-19.
