For its 6th edition, once again the El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) highlights the film industry. To direct this exciting new step, the Cinegouna platform (CGP), which has been an integral part of the GFF for a long time, presents its latest initiative: the Cinegouna market.
The GFF is proud to announce the launch of the Cinegouna market this year and reaffirms its commitment to the film industry by centralizing all its activities focused on industry at the heart of the festival – the Plaza Festival. This animated hub, formerly reserved for gala projections and red carpets, now takes on a new role. Under the majestic arches of the Plaza, the new space will house the Cinegouna Springboard, the activities of the Cinegouna Bridge, and will include a large room where the master classes and two smaller rooms will take place for daily debates. Embellished with trees and a coffee, the Plaza Festival is intended to become the essential destination of participants in the festival and a breeding ground for the new generation of filmmakers from the MENA region.
The CINEGOUNA market introduces a new workspace for the established and emerging voices of the Arab film industry, in particular producers, distributors, sales agents and VOD platforms … Market stands will serve as a platform to present the ranges of films, projects, infrastructures, services, new technologies and initiatives of these organizations and institutions.
The main objective of a film market is to connect cinema professionals between them and to market films. The Cinegouna market will create an environment conducive to networking and the creation of relations between filmmakers, distributors, sales agents, investors and other key players, both in the region and on the international scale.
A strong point on the market will be the Cinegouna Short Film Lounge, where a selection of short films will be available for visualization at dedicated hours during the day. This highlighting of accessibility and innovative programming is part of one of the main objectives of the GFF: supporting emerging filmmakers.
The Arab film industry has experienced significant growth and transformation in recent years, with an increase both in quantity and the quality of Arab films. The filmmakers of the region are increasingly recognized on the international scene. In addition, several films in the Arab world have experienced commercial success, affecting a wider audience both nationally and international.
Thinking about these remarkable developments, the executive director of the GFF, Amr Mansi, expressed his enthusiasm for this initiative, declaring: ” While we are witnessing the impressive growth of the Arab film industry and its international recognition, we are committed to creating even more opportunities for industry professionals. We aim to bring the Cinegouna platform to new heights. It was time to reinvent the festival hub as a place of convergence of all facets of industry. In this context, we have sown the seeds of a market to complete the many offers of the CGP. Likewise, our redesigned bridge program will be stronger and more impactful than ever. I think it is important to invest in infrastructure and initiatives such as the Cinegouna market which will help stimulate this growth …“”
During the last five editions, the GFF has constantly supported projects and filmmakers thanks to its initiatives. The Cinegouna Bridge has always offered selected workshops, panels and lecturers, while the Cinegouna Springboard has offered many opportunities to filmmakers and their work in learning with industry and competition mentors for prices on the part of influential industry players.
The director of the festival, Intishal al-Timimi, underlined the vital mission of the Cinegouna market, declaring: ” The Cinegouna market is not only a market; It is a dynamic platform designed to promote organic connections between the different actors who shape Arabic cinema. Our goal is to create an immersive environment where industry professionals and filmmakers can naturally engage, exchange ideas and collaborate. We believe that this synergy is essential for continuous growth and innovation of our industry. »»
In addition, this year, the GFF is proud to present Cinegouna Émerge, a program dedicated to beginner students and filmmakers, inviting them to participate in all the festival activities and to benefit from them. The GFF aims to provide these aspiring talents with resources, mentoring, visibility and support for the development of their work.
The artistic director, Marianne Khoury, stressed the importance of supporting young talents, saying: ” In our region, we have a richness of creative talent but limited resources to cultivate it. This is why it is vital for the GFF to give visibility to these emerging filmmakers. They will benefit from our selected programs and the expertise of industry professionals present at the festival, in order to register in the industry from the start. »»
This fits perfectly with the objective of the Cinegouna market to create synergies between the different essential entities for the region’s film industry. The creators of emerging, but also established films, will be able to closely examine the partners capable of supporting them in the presentation of films or the production of their work in progress. Journalists and criticisms are invited to examine the ranges of the most influential production and distribution companies. Even cinephile visitor can wander the market and come across fascinating and innovative projects, watch films in the Cinegouna Short Film Lounge or have a taste of new technological innovations.
Finally, every day on Place du Plaza, the festival will organize a Happy Hour at the Cinegouna market from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. This networking event will allow cinema professionals to interact with each other in a more relaxed and social framework.
The Cinegouna market promises to be the place where you have to be during the GFF 2023.
About the El Gouna Film Festival
One of the flagship festivals in the MENA region, the GFF aims to present a wide variety of films to a passionate and informed audience, while promoting better communication between cultures thanks to the art of cinema. Its objective is to connect the filmmakers of the region with their international counterparts in a spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange. The El Gouna Film Festival has made a reputation by presenting a diverse programming of films from around the world, with a strong accent on Arab cinema. The festival aims to promote and support industry growth in the region and to offer a platform to filmmakers to present their work. The Festival also undertakes to discover new voices and strives to be a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world, in particular thanks to the Cinegouna platform, an event focused on the industry created to empower Egyptian and Arabic filmmakers and help them find artistic and financial support. The Cinegouna platform presents the Cinegouna Springboard and Cinegouna Bridge programs, which offer sharing and learning opportunities.
Press release
