GFF Honors UNHCR in Egypt

CAIRO – 2 October 2017: The first edition of El Gouna Film Festival honoured on September 28 the UNHCR in Egypt for their use of film and documentary, with a deep look at the Mediterranean and mixed migration movements.

For over half a century, UNHCR has helped millions of people restart their lives. It continuously aids refugees, returnees, stateless people, the internally displaced and asylum-seekers. The primary purpose of the UNHCR is to protect the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee.

The opening ceremony was sponsored by the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA), a Monaco-based, non-profit, non-governmental organization participating with UNHCR in El Gouna Film Festival. The event took place at La Maison Bleue in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, Hurghada.

The mission of IEFTA is to discover and promote emerging cinema talent from around the world, to encourage dialogue between filmmakers, to promote cultural diversity and international understanding and to engage the art of cinema.

Focusing on the world’s developing regions, IEFTA’s Global Film Expression provides opportunity and education to those who have no access to the resources for cinematic expression. This year marks the 11th Anniversary of IEFTA supporting initiatives.

The GFF was established to underscore the role film plays in promoting cultural interaction, fostering an awareness of different cinematic voices through encouraging dialogue and by building bridges of creative intellect.

The goal is to generate opportunities for development and support for all contemporary forms of creative expressions in the MENA region, especially between young generations from the Arab world and their international counterparts.