El Gouna Film Festival Unveils 23 Feature Projects; Launches CineGouna Series
Egypt's El Gouna Film Festival has selected 23 projects for this year’s edition of CineGouna Funding, which is scheduled to take place from October 15-23 during the festival.
These projects are in addition to the six previously announced for the inaugural edition of CineGouna Series, bringing the total number of projects to 29 across features and episodic works (see more on CineGouna series below).
The features selection involves representation from 11 Arab countries, plus co-production partners across nine further nations. The selection comprises 13 projects in development, including 10 narrative, two documentaries and one animation, as well as six films in post-production.
The 2026 edition introduces Egyptian Voices for the first time, a dedicated strand offering mentorship and funding to four Egyptian projects.
Selected projects will benefit from a tailored mentoring programme under the guidance of Robyn Citizen, director of programming at Toronto International Film Festival; Soleil Gharbieh, programme manager at the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture; and documentary expert Arianna Castoldi. Films in post-production will receive specialised consultancy from editor Melissa Parry, while producer Alaa Alassad will mentor the Egyptian Voices projects.
The CineGouna Funding jury comprises Egyptian director Nadine Khan, Palestinian producer Hanna Atallah and German producer Dorothe Beinemeier. Winners will be announced at a ceremony at the conclusion of El Gouna Film Festival.
The CineGouna Series initiative is divided into two phases. The first phase is a six-week development lab held online. The second phase is a projects marketplace held during the festival during which writers take part in individual sessions and have opportunities to present their projects to industry representatives.
“I think what makes CineGouna Series stand out as an initiative is that it offers participants an opportunity to both expand their capabilities as writers from a creative standpoint and also offers them the chance to gain hands-on experience when it comes to marketing their series to well-established producers, actors and other potential partners within their specific sector,” explains Mariam Naoum, Head of CineGouna Series.
CINEGOUNA FUNDING 2026: FULL LINE-UP
IN DEVELOPMENT FEATURES
FEATURE NARRATIVE:
Arabs Of Maadi (Egypt) Director: Ayten Amin Producer: Louay Khreish
Away From The Pack (Egypt) Director: Adel Ahmed Yehia Producer: Sawsan Yusuf
Lily's Makkah (Sudan, Egypt, Brazil, Germany) Director: Marwa Zein Producer: Marwa Zein
Mina (Jordan) Director: Marie-Rose Osta Producer: Alaa Alasad
Paradise Beach (France) Director: Zoulikha Tahar Producer: Manon Messiant
The Pessoptimists (France, Palestine) Director: Abdallah Alkhatib Producer: Claire Chassagne
Printemps (France, Lebanon) Director: Noel Keserwany Producer: Michelle Keserwany
Shorrab (Saudi Arabia) Director: Emad Eskandar Producer: Munthir Altuwayrib
To The Core (Tunisia, France, Italy) Director: Mehdi M. Barsaoui Producer: Habib Attia
Waiting For Paradise (Egypt, Belgium, Sweden, Italy) Director: Mohamed Siam Producer: Mohamed Siam
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY:
The Gift Of Blindness (Germany, USA) Director: Ibrahim Nash'at Producer: Elijah Stevens & Ibrahim Nash'at
The Sacred Thirst (Switzerland) Director: Hamda Dhaouadi Producer: Aida Schlaepfer Alhassani
FEATURE ANIMATION:
When I Close My Eyes I See Your Eyes (Egypt, Belgium) Director: Sameh Alaa Producer: Mark Lotfy
POST-PRODUCTION FEATURES
FEATURE NARRATIVE:
A Quarter To Thursday (France, Belgium, Algeria) Director: Sofia Djama Producer: Emma Binet & Jean Bréhat
Ibrahim's Voice (France, Tunisia) Director: Yann Rabanier Producer: Sophie Roudaut
Of Debt And Money (Tunisia) Director: Houssem Sansa Producer: Houssem Sansa
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY:
Besso (Iraq) Director: Muslim Habeeb Producer: Huda Al Kadhimi & Muna Al Kadhimi
House No. 7 (Syria, Germany, Qatar) Director: Rama Abdy Producer: Hazar Yazji
Landwards (Jordan) Director: Rama Ayasra Producer: Asmahan Bkerat
EGYPTIAN VOICES:
Dina: The Last Woman Dancing (Egypt) Director: Mahmoud Rashad Producer: Amir El-Shenawy
No Condolences For Children (Egypt, Canada, US) Director: Reem Morsi Producer: Miral El Fakharany
Road To Blue (Egypt, France, Belgium, Tunisia) Director: Abanoub Youssef Producer: Mohamed Rashad
The Road To Paradise (Egypt) Director: Mai Elkamhawi Producer: Bassam Mortada
CINEGOUNA SERIES:
The Half Hour, by Mohammed Elsayed Taha (Egypt)
There's Something Wrong, by Marim Dagher (Egypt)
To The Edge, by Mamdouh Salah, Muhammed Abd Elsattar (Egypt)
Why, Soad?, by Rana Wael Matar (Saudi Arabia)
Marketing For Beginners, by Shaimaa Gohar (Egypt)
Sent From Above, by Dareen Shamseddine (Lebanon)
