The El Gouna Film Festival concluded its sixth and exceptional session for the year 2023, with a quiet ceremony during which the stars disappeared and awards were distributed and distinguished cinematic achievements from all over the world were celebrated.
The ceremony was attended by a small number of stars, most notably Elham Shaheen, Saba Mubarak, Amir Al-Masry, Nada Moussa, Asma Jalal, and some foreign stars who were honored by the festival.
Despite the challenges, this year the festival screened 90 films, which captured the attention of audiences and industry workers alike.
The festival administration issued a statement expressing its sincere appreciation to the members of the esteemed jury who provided their expertise in this delicate selection process.
At the conclusion of its sixth session, the festival paid tribute to the stars of art who left our world during the current year, in honor of their contributions, and they are: Mustafa Darwish, Ashraf Abdel Ghafour, Nahid Farid Shawqi, Ashraf Moslehi, Tariq Abdel Aziz, and the directors Ahmed Al-Badri and Ahmed Sami Al-Adl.
The sixth session of the El Gouna Film Festival witnessed the awarding of the Creative Achievement Award this year to Egyptian director Marwan Hamed, one of the most prominent names of his generation of young directors.
While the festival witnessed the screening of 90 films from 49 countries, in various categories, whether “feature films,” “documentaries,” “short films,” or the official selection outside the competition or special sections.
The festival, in cooperation with the Palestinian Film Institute, through the “Window on Palestine” section, also screened a group of films that delve into the heart of Palestinian stories. The festival included the screening of nine films in their world premiere, while four films were shown in their international premiere.
The closing ceremony of the El Gouna Film Festival witnessed the first official appearance of the artist Mahmoud Hegazy, accompanied by his wife, Rana Zarrouk, in a public event since their marriage last September in the United States of America, where his wife lives.
The ceremony was performed by singer Amir Eid, star of the Cairokee band, where he performed many of his own and the band’s songs.
