El Gouna Film Festival unveiled the eagerly awaited first wave of films selected so far for its upcoming 6th edition.
A lineup that, on one hand spotlights the artistry of renowned and established international filmmakers, while on the other hand, offers an exceptional selection of early works of emerging filmmakers from different parts of the world.
Talking about the motivation behind the selection of films for GFF, Intishal Al Timimi, Festival Director, GFF said “Our selection process was a journey of discovery and discernment. We sought, as always, films that resonate with authenticity, challenge conventional narratives, and spark conversations across cultures. Each film we have selected is a testament to the filmmaker's unique voice and perspective, embodying the essence of our festival's commitment to innovation, diversity, and the celebration of the art of cinema."
Marianne Khoury, Artistic director of El Gouna Film Festival added, "Even though I have recently joined GFF, I have known it since its inception. GFF has always strived to be a platform that celebrates the full spectrum of Cinema. With this lineup, we are not only paying homage to the masterful works of established filmmakers but also championing the voices that shape the future of our industry. This year's selections promise a cinematic journey that resonates with both the seasoned cinephiles and those eager to explore new horizons."
This selection represents a convergence of cinematic brilliance and the power of storytelling that transcends borders. Among the notable titles included in this showcase are Anatomy of a Fall, by Justine Triet, winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes; the 2023 Berlinale’s Golden Bear winning documentary On the Adamant by Nicolas Philibert and Guto Parente’s The Strange Path that swept four major awards at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
The line-up of films by acclaimed auteurs that we have selected so far include:
1-ANATOMY OF A FALL (ANATOMIE D'UNE CHUTE) | JUSTINE TRIET | FRANCE
Feature Narrative
Sandra (Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann - 2016), a German writer, lives with her husband Samuel and their visually-impaired son Daniel in a remote mountain chalet in the French Alps. When Samuel falls to his death in mysterious circumstances, the investigation cannot determine whether it’s suicide or foul play.
Cannes 2023, Winner - Palme d'Or
2- THE BURITI FLOWER (CROWRA) | JOÃO SALAVIZA, RENÉE NADER MESSORA | BRAZIL
Feature Narrative
Through her child’s eyes, Patpro will go through three periods of the history of her indigenous people, in the heart of the Brazilian forest. Tirelessly persecuted, but guided by their ancestral rites, their love of nature and their fight to preserve their freedom, the Krahô never stop inventing new forms of resistance.
Cannes 2023, Winner - Un Certain Regard Ensemble Prize
3- THE ECHO (EL ECO) | TATIANA HUEZO | MEXICO, GERMANY
Feature Documentary
In the remote village of El Echo that exists outside of time, the children care for the sheep and their elders. While the frost and drought punish the land, they learn to understand death, illness and love with each act, word and silence of their parents.
Berlinale 2023, Winner Encounters Prize for Best Director and Berlinale Documentary Award
4-MAY DECEMBER | TODD HAYNES | UNITED STATES
Feature Narrative
Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple, Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her husband Joe (twenty-three years her junior), buckles under the pressure when an actress, Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.
Cannes 2023, Competition
5-OBSCURE NIGHT - GOODBYE HERE, ANYWHERE (NUIT OBSCURE - AU REVOIR ICI, N'IMPORTE OÙ) | SYLVAIN GEORGES | FRANCE, SWITZERLAND
Feature Documentary
For many African migrants fleeing a difficult life, the Spanish enclave of Melilla, in Morocco, is an ideal spot from which to dream of a better future. With persistence bordering on obsession, the group of minors led by Malik - whom Sylvain George follows with equal levels of persistence, try to travel to Europe day after day, night after night – The film sets a gaze on these children daily existence rife with persistence, hope and painful utopias.
Locarno 2023, Special Mention International Competition, and «Environment is quality of life» Prize (Junior Jury Awards)
6-ON THE ADAMANT (SUR L'ADAMANT) | NICOLAS PHILIBERT | FRANCE
Feature Documentary
Located on the Seine in the heart of Paris, l’ Adamant is a boat that welcomes adults suffering from mental disorders, offering them care that grounds them in time and space, and helps them keep up their spirit. There is a gentle and very happy sense of freedom and possibility aboard the Adamant, and there is enormous warmth, sympathy and human curiosity.
Berlinale 2023, Competition, Winner Golden Bear
7-THE SHADOWLESS TOWER (BAI TA ZHI GUANG) | ZHANG LU | CHINA
Feature Narrative
Gu Wentong, a middle-aged food critic, is drifting through the local eateries of vibrant Beijing with his younger photographer colleague Oyang. A divorcé with a 6 year-old daughter and estranged from his father for decades, he is looking for a new perspective on life while reconsidering his failings as a father, a son, and a lover.
Berlinale 2023; Beijing International Film Festival, Winner Best Artistic Contribution, Best Actor (Xin Baiqing), Best Supporting Actor (Tian Zhuangzhuang), Best Screenplay (Zhang Lü) and Best Cinematography (Piao Songri) awards…
8-A STRANGE PATH (ESTRANHO CAMINHO) | GUTO PARENTE | BRAZIL
Feature Narrative
A young filmmaker returns to his hometown and attempts to reconnect with his father as the pandemic rapidly accelerates across Brazil. However, their relationship proves to be more complicated with increasingly bizarre phenomena occurring as they get closer.
Tribeca 2023, Winner Best International Narrative Feature Award, Best Performance Award (Carlos Francisco), Best Screenplay Award, Best Cinematography Award (Linga Acácio)…
9-YOUTH (SPRING) | WANG BING | CHINA, FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG, NETHERLANDS
Feature Documentary
Filmed over six years, the master documentarian’s latest project follows the grueling working days of young garment factory laborers in China. But even in this slow-moving portrait of a grind, Wang Bing’s camera finds glimmers of hope.
Cannes 2023, Competition
In this year’s selection GFF also proudly introduces an exceptional selection of first and second features that capture the essence of emerging voices in the industry. These films, originating from diverse corners of the world, have taken the festival circuit by storm, earning accolades and acclaim. Among the gems by emerging filmmakers that we have selected for the 6th edition are:
10- ALL TO PLAY FOR (RIEN A PERDRE) | DELPHINE DELOGET | FRANCE
Feature Narrative, Second Feature
Sylvie lives in Brest with her two children, Sofiane and Jean-Jacques. Together they form a tight, happy family. One night, Sofiane hurts himself in the apartment while his mother is out at work. The incident is reported and Sofiane is placed in foster care…
Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2023
11- DREAMING & DYING (HAO JIU BU JIAN) | NELSON YEO | SINGAPORE, INDONESIA
Feature Narrative, First Feature
Three middle aged friends reunite for the first time in years. Each of them sets out to confess unexpressed feelings but their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives threatens to resurface.
Locarno 2023, Winner Best Film (Filmmakers of the Present) and Best First Feature.
12- FAMILY PORTRAIT | LUCY KERR | UNITED STATES
Feature Narrative, First Feature
A sprawling family's futile attempts at capturing a family photo take a dreamlike turn when the matriarch vanishes, and one daughter becomes desperate to find her.
Locarno 2023, Filmmakers of the Present
13- IF ONLY I COULD HIBERNATE (BAAVGAI BOLOHSON) | ZOLJARGAL PUREVDASH | MONGOLIA, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND
Feature Narrative, First Feature
A poor but prideful teenage boy Ulzii is determined to win a Physics competition for a scholarship, but his mother finds a job in the countryside and has to leave him with his siblings in the middle of the harsh winter to fend for themselves.
Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2023
14- LOST COUNTRY | VLADIMIR PERISIC | SERBIA, CROATIA, FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG
Feature Narrative, Second Feature
Serbia, 1996. During the student demonstrations against the Milosevic regime, fifteen year-old Stefan has to go through the hardest revolution of all. He has to confront his beloved mother (Jasna Duricic, Quo Vadis, Aida - 2020), spokesperson and accomplice of the corrupted government that his friends are rising against.
Critic's Week, Cannes 2023; Winner - Louis Roederer Foundation Prize for Revelation
15- SCRAPPER | CHARLOTTE REGAN | UNITED KINGDOM
Feature Narrative, First Feature
Georgie is a dreamy twelve year-old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Out of nowhere, her estranged father (Harris Dickinson, Triangle of Sadness - 2022) turns up and forces her to confront reality.
Sundance 2023, Winner Grand Jury Prize
16- STEPNE | MARYNA VRODA | UKRAINE, GERMANY, POLAND, SLOVAKIA
Feature Narrative, First Feature
Set amidst stunning Ukrainian winter landscapes, vanishing villages, and emerging feelings of alienation between people in post-Soviet society, this remarkable debut film is the story of Anatoliy, a man who comes back home from the big city to take care of his dying mother.
Locarno 2023, Winner Best Director, International Competition
17- TOTEM | LILA AVILÉS | MEXICO, DENMARK, FRANCE
Feature Narrative, Second Feature
Seven-year-old Sol spends the day at her grandfather’s home, helping with the preparations for a surprise birthday party for her father. Throughout the day, chaos slowly takes over, fracturing the family’s foundations. Sol will embrace the essence of letting go as a release for existence.
Berlinale 2023, Winner Ecumenical Jury Prize; Hong Kong IFF, Winner Golden Firebird AwardYoung Cinema; Beijing IFF, Winner Best Director, Best Music…
18- WHISPERS OF FIRE & WATER | LUBDHAK CHATTERJEE | INDIA
Feature Narrative, First Feature
Shiva, an audio installation artist from Kolkata, visits the largest coal-mining region of Eastern India for his work. He struggles to find leads in his work, his woes getting aggravated as his own life gets intertwined with that in the mines.
Locarno 2023, Filmmakers of the Present
19- WHITE PLASTIC SKY (MÜANYAG ÉGBOLT) | TIBOR BÁNÓCZKI, SAROLTA SZABÓ | HUNGARY, SLOVAKIA
Feature Narrative, First Feature
2123. Faced with diminishing resources, the human race can only survive through a trade-off: at the age of fifty every citizen is gradually turned into a tree. When Stefan discovers that his wife Nora has signed up to donate her body, he sets out to save her. (Animation Film)
Berlinale 2023, Annecy International Animated Film Festival; Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films, Winner Special Mention...
This remarkable collection reflects the dynamic potential of new talent, redefining cinematic boundaries and engaging audiences. GFF’s commitment to nurturing the growth of promising filmmakers underscores its dedication to fostering innovation and celebrating the next generation of cinema.
We eagerly anticipate our annual cinematic rendez-vous this October. Let us immerse ourselves in a world of captivating narratives, storytelling, and the camaraderie of film enthusiasts from around the globe. We will honor the past, revel in the present, and ignite the spark for the future.El Gouna Film Festival is one of the leading festivals in the MENA region.
GFF aims to showcase a wide variety of films for a passionate and knowledgeable audience, while fostering better communication between cultures through the art of filmmaking.
Its goal is to connect filmmakers from the region with their international counterparts in the spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange. El Gouna Film Festival has gained a reputation for showcasing a diverse lineup of films from around the world, including a strong emphasis on Arab cinema. The festival aims to promote and support the industry's growth in the region and provide a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work. The festival is also committed to the discovery of new voices and strives to be a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world, especially through CineGouna Platform, an industry-oriented event created to empower Egyptian and Arab filmmakers and help them find artistic and financial support. CineGouna Platform presents the CineGouna SpringBoard and the CineGouna Bridge programs that provide opportunities for sharing and learning.
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