Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the fourth edition of the Gouna Film Festival (GFF) launched on Friday. The theme of this year’s festival is “Man and Dream”.
The festival presents each year fresh original films from around the Arab region and world, promoting cross-cultural interaction and understanding through the art of film.
The festival offers awards to participants of three different competitions: The Feature Narrative Competition, The Feature Documentary Competition, and The Short Films Competition.
GFF also gives special attention to humanitarian films.
This year, the seven-day festival will take place from October 23 to 31 in Egypt’s lavish resort town of Gouna, located on the Red Sea.
GFF’s management completed the final preparations for the opening ceremony Friday afternoon, including ensuring that all COVID-19 precautionary measures were in place.
The festival’s opening night will witness the screening of the film “L’Homme qui Avait Vendu Sa Peau” (The Man Who Sold His Skin) by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, which premiered internationally at the Venice Film Festival.
The film’s star, Yahya Mahayni, received the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor in Venice, and the film itself won the Edipo Re Award.
The film began as a project that was shown two years ago at the second edition of the GFF.
The film depicts the journey of the Syrian young man, Sam Ali, who immigrated to Lebanon, fleeing the ongoing war in Syria. He meets Jeffrey Godfrey, the most famous artist in the field of contemporary art.
Determined to make it to Belgium to be with his girlfriend, Ali participates in an unusual arrangement with the artist.
A full lineup of GFF films can be found on the festival’s website.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
