Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) announced its return after a year-long hiatus, in a statement released on Wednesday, 22 February on the festival’s website and social media accounts. GFF’s sixth edition will be held from 13 to 20 October 2023. The news comes after last year’s cancellation had served to cast uncertainty over the festival’s future, as GFF’s fifth edition was marked by several mishappenings and controversies. In July 2022, the festival had released a statement explaining that its sixth edition would be postponed due to “current global challenges” and a “consequent need to develop an integrated strategy that will live up to the growing expectations of the festival as a leading platform for film, art and culture.” Variety Magazine attributed the cancellation to competition between Arab film festivals, which are mostly concentrated in the year’s fourth quarter, Egypt’s economic crisis, volatility in the real-estate market, and the Russia-Ukraine war’s impact on tourism in the Red Sea. Launched in 2017, the international film festival has held five editions in the Red Sea Resort of El Gouna, widely attended by industry professionals from the region and beyond. The festival has…
El Gouna Film Festival Returns for Sixth Edition After One-Year Hiatus
February 22, 2023
