The 2024 edition of the El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) ended in style with a ceremony for awarding. This 7th edition was marked by impressive records with 5,500 accreditations (around 800/900 accreditations in previous years) and 22,500 tickets sold, unpublished figures that testify to the growing influence of this festival. Amr Mansi, executive director of the GFF, attributed this success to the essential contribution of the festival “hub”, which greatly facilitated the experience of the guests.
The evening, rich in emotions, was presented by Annabella Hilal, who underlined the strength of cinema to create links, promote empathy, and arouse cultural exchanges. Samih Sawiris, president of the festival, and Amr Mansi, also spoke to celebrate the successes of this edition.
Tribute to the cinema icons
A moving tribute was paid to fires Hassan Youssef and Mostafa Fahmy, in recognition of their invaluable contribution to the Egyptian cinema. Their works have marked Egyptian cinema and continue to inspire generations.
Prize for their entire career in Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige
Lebanese artists Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige received the prestigious prize for their entire career for their exceptional contribution to cinema and contemporary art. Their work, exploring memory, history and narration, was praised by Marianne Khoury, who awarded the prize, by highlighting their unique approach to narration.
Introduction of a new prize: “Art Behind the Scenes”
The festival introduced the “Art Behind the Scenes” prize to honor the shadow trades such as the assembly, the costume design and the musical composition. This year, the creation prize was awarded to the Egyptian costume designer Nahed Nasrallah, while the annual appointments highlighted the head operator Abdel Salam Mousa and the composer Ahmed El Sawy. The jury included figures like Yousra, Marwan Hamed and Hend Sabry.
Price netpac and fipresci
The netpac price for the best Asian film was awarded to We are inside (Lebanon, Qatar, Denmark) by Farah Kassem, greeted for his beautiful exploration of the father-daughter relationship.
The Fipresci Prize for the first or second feature films by directors of Africa, Asia and South America, was won by Girls Will Be Girls (India) by Shuchi Talati.
Public prize “cinema for humanity”
The public prize for humanity cinema, dedicated to films with a humanitarian impact, was awarded to Disassemblean overwhelming work that reflects the complex realities of a society in crisis. This film is made up of four segments made by Lucien Bourjeily, Bane Fakih, Wissam Charaf and Areej Mahmoud.
Prix El Gouna Green Star
The El Gouna Green Star Prize, which rewards films on ecological issues, has been awarded to The Battle for Laikipia by Daphne Matziaraki and Peter Murimi. This poignant documentary explores conflicts related to resources in Kenya.
Short films competition
The awards for the best short films were awarded as follows:
– Special mention: Dawn Every Day (Egypt) of Amir Youssef and Voiceless (Switzerland) by Samuel Patthey.
-Best Arab short film: A promised to the sea (Egypt, Sweden) of Hend Sohail.
– Bronze star: EBB & Flow (Lebanon, Qatar, United States) of Nay Tabbara.
– Silver star: How We Got Mother Back (Portugal) by Gonçalo Waddington and An Orange from Jaffa (Palestine, Poland) by Mohammed Almughanni.
– Gold Star: Upshot (Palestine, Italy, France) of Maha Haj.
Documentary competition
The winners of the documentary competition are:
– Best Arab documentary: The Brink of Dreams (Egypt, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, and My Memory is full of ghosts (Syria) of Anas Zawahri.
– Bronze star: A New Kind of Wilderness (Norway) by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen.
– Silver star: Soundtrack to coup d’etat (Belgium, France, Netherlands) by Johan Grimonprez.
– Gold Star: We are inside (Lebanon, Qatar, Denmark) by Farah Kassem.
Fiction feature filler competition
In the fiction feature films competition, the prices were awarded as follows:
– Special mention for Charles Peccia Galletto in My Everything (France) by Anne Sophie Bailly, as well as for Kani Kusruti and Preeti Panigrahi in Girls Will Be Girls (India, France, Norway, United States) of Shuchi Talati.
– Star of the best actress: Laura Wismar in Salve Maria (Spain) of Mar Coll.
– Best actor star: Adam Bessa in Ghost Trail (France, Germany, Belgium) by Jonathan Millet.
– Best Arab fiction film: Thank You For Banking With Us! (Palestine, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt) of Laila Abass, and Who do I Belong to (Tunisia, France, Canada) of Meryam Jobeur.
– Bronze star: Girls Will Be Girls (India, France, Norway, United States) of Shuchi Talati.
– Silver star: The Kingdom (France) by Julien Colona.
– Golden Star : Ghost Trail (France, Germany, Belgium) by Jonathan Millet.
A festive ceremony to close the edition
The evening ended with an artistic animation, marking the end of this 7th edition of the El Gouna film festival, which reaffirmed its place of choice on the world cinematographic scene, celebrating the talents of tomorrow and the innovative voices of contemporary cinema.
Press release
