# El Gouna Film Festival

El Gouna Film Festival, founded in 2017 on the Red Sea, held its 9th edition from 15 to 23 October 2026: 77 films, narrative, documentary and short film competitions, and an industry programme devoted to Arab cinema.

Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/events/el-gouna-film-festival/

## A film festival in a seaside resort

El Gouna is a private seaside town built on lagoons, 25 km north of Hurghada. Since 2017 it has hosted a film festival every autumn, founded at the initiative of brothers Naguib and Samih Sawiris, with Amr Mansi, now executive director; the artistic director is Andrew Mohsen. Its motto, "Cinema for Humanity", sets the tone of the selection: films about the world as it is, many from the Arab world.

The festival has three competitions, for narrative features, documentaries and shorts. The awards are called the El Gouna Stars: gold, silver and bronze stars, with prizes for the best Arab film and for performances. Alongside the screenings, CineGouna is the industry strand: development and post-production support for Arab films, meetings and a market.

## The 2026 edition

The 9th edition opened on Thursday 15 October 2026 and ran until 23 October, on the theme "Cinema for Humanity: Archiving Narratives", devoted to cinema's role in collective memory. It presented 77 films, features, documentaries and shorts, including ten Arab films, the largest number since the festival began.

Some highlights of this edition:

- **The opening film**, *All About Corinne*, by French director Marc Fitoussi, starring Isabelle Huppert and Sandrine Kiberlain.
- **A career award** presented to Egyptian actress Mona Zaki at the opening ceremony.
- **CineGouna Series**, a new programme supporting Arabic-language television series.
- **Safe Harbour MENA**, launched with the International Film Festival Rotterdam, to support displaced or threatened filmmakers.

## Going during the festival

**Where to stay.** For festival dates, Sabaro recommends booking early. In the Sabaro selection, La Maison Bleue has thirteen suites and a chef's table; Casa Cook, for guests aged 16 and over, is on the lagoon; The Chedi sits on the hill, with a private beach; the Steigenberger Golf Resort and Ancient Sands are on the golf courses.

**Getting around.** No car is needed: tuk-tuks and shuttle boats link the districts, from Downtown to Abu Tig Marina. To go out every evening, a hotel near Downtown or Abu Tig is better.

**Seeing films.** Some screenings are open to the public. The programme, showtimes and access conditions are published on the festival's official website; accreditation badges are for professionals and the press.

**The season.** October is one of the best months on this coast: the sea is still warm, the air more bearable than in summer. A light jacket is useful in the evening.

## What to combine with the festival

The festival mostly fills the evenings. Days are free for the rest of El Gouna:

- **kitesurfing**, on the flat-water lagoon, with the town's certified schools;
- **diving**, to the Abu Nahas wrecks and the Giftun Islands;
- **golf**, on one of the two 18-hole courses.

For a first trip to Egypt, the festival can also round off a tour of the Nile Valley, along the lines of Sabaro's ten-day Nile cruise and Red Sea trip idea.

## Frequently asked questions

### When is El Gouna Film Festival?

The 9th edition ran from 15 to 23 October 2026. The festival takes place every autumn in El Gouna, on the Red Sea.

### Can the public attend screenings?

Yes, some of them. The programme and access conditions are published on the festival's official website; accreditation is for professionals and the press.

### Where to stay during the festival?

In El Gouna itself, in a hotel from the Sabaro selection: La Maison Bleue, Casa Cook or The Chedi for a boutique stay, the Steigenberger Golf Resort or Ancient Sands for golf. Sabaro recommends booking early.

### What are the El Gouna Stars?

The festival's awards: gold, silver and bronze stars in the narrative, documentary and short film competitions, with prizes for the best Arab film and for performances.