The 8th El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) was a powerful cinematic festival. Dedicated to the theme “Cinema for Humanity,” the festival reaffirmed its renowned position in the Arab world, bringing Hollywood advocacy together with Egyptian heritage.
The opening ceremony set the tone, as Executive Director and Co-Founder Amr Mansi proudly revealed that 290 films that began their journey at CineGouna have since competed at major international festivals, marking a defining success story for Egyptian and regional cinema. This year also marked a first ever collaboration with Netflix, which premiered two shorts during the festival.
CATE BLANCHETT AND THE POWER OF EMPATHY
This year’s red carpet glowed with the presence of Cate Blanchett, two time Academy Award winner and UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador, who attended as the festival’s Guest of Honor. Blanchett presented Jim Jarmusch’s Venice Golden Lion winner, Father Mother Sister Brother, competing in the Feature Narrative Competition. The haunting threefold narrative explored family bonds and the nature of human connection, perfectly mirroring GFF’s “Cinema for Humanity” ethos.
During her “In Conversation” session moderated by prominent Lebanese TV presenter and journalist, Raya Abirached, Blanchett shared that both her acting and humanitarian work are rooted in the same value: empathy and the ability to listen. Reflecting on her eight years with the UNHCR, she recalled, “A child in Sudan told me, ‘I miss home — the sound of my name in the morning, and the smell of rain.’”
She went on to emphasize the purpose of cinema as a space for reflection rather than prescription, saying, “Cinema isn’t about giving lessons — it’s about provoking thought.” Blanchett also praised the Egyptian spirit, calling its people “remarkably warm and responsible in a vulnerable world” for their compassion toward displaced communities.
YOUSRA’S JUBILEE
The heart of the festival belonged to Egyptian icon Yousra, honored with a moving tribute and exhibition celebrating her fifty year artistic journey. In her emotional “In Conversation” session, she spoke openly about the weight of fame, saying, ““I’ve known joy, pain, and fear, but the audience has a right to me. I can’t show them my sadness, even when life is heavy.”
Reflecting on her retrospective exhibition, she added, “It felt like watching the movie of my life. Without people’s love, nothing means anything.” Her longtime friends, including Elham Shaheen and Hala Sedky, shared heartfelt tributes, describing Yousra as “a beacon of strength, generosity, and pure love.”
Her advice to emerging artists was timeless: “Reaching success is hard — staying there is harder. Keep your heart clean, be grateful, forgive, and keep growing.”
CHAHINE’S CENTENARY
One of the most poignant moments of GFF 2025 was the centenary tribute to legendary Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, recognized as “The Godfather of the New Arab Cinema Waves.” The tribute opened with a screening of his seminal 1989 film, Alexandria: Again and Forever, co-written with Yousry Nasrallah, starring Youssra and Hussein Fahmy, both of whom attended the tribute alongside Marianne Khoury, the GFF Artistic Director and Chahine’s niece.
Introducing the film, Khoury reminded the audience, “Tonight, we are not simply screening a film; we are opening a celebration of a man who reshaped the soul of Arab cinema.”
Yousra spoke fondly about her work with the director, saying, “This film is one of the closest to my heart. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do every time I watch it.” Hussein Fahmy, President of the Cairo International Film Festival, added with affection, “Youssef Chahine was my professor at the Higher Institute of Cinema. He believed in me from the very beginning.”
THE WINNERS’ CIRCLE AND THE NEXT WAVE
Awards & Achievements:
Lifetime Creative Achievement Award: Presented by Yousra, the honor went to Emmy nominated actress Menna Shalaby, recognizing her bold and diverse body of work.
Best Film: The Arab Critics Award for European Films was awarded to Yunan by Ameer Fakher Eldin, reaffirming its critical acclaim.
A Dazzling Debut: The world premiere of Sarah Rozik’s Love Imagined brought a vibrant new energy to the festival. The film, exploring how love and loss intertwine between a college student, his heartbroken girlfriend, and their grieving professor, was hailed as “a celebration of youth, cinema, and first-time brilliance.”
Industry Innovators: The fifth anniversary of the Gemini CinemaTech Pitching Competition spotlighted innovation in film technology. Winners included IDMAG, a startup creating inclusive solutions for the hearing-impaired, and Renaldi, an Egyptian brand known for bespoke furniture for film art directors.
