El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt postponed due to conflict
The 6th edition of the film fest showcasing Arabic cinema was scheduled to begin next week
El Gouna Film Festival, which was scheduled to kick off on October 27 in Egypt, has been postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
This is the second time that dates are being altered. Originally, they were slated to kick off on October 13, but the organisers took to call to shift the festival launch to next week due to the on-going humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
No new date has been set. The festival has also donated LE 5 million (Egyptian pounds) to help those suffering during this conflict.
“In light of the deeply distressing circumstances prevailing in Gaza, the management of El Gouna Film Festival has made the conscious decision to postpone the forthcoming sixth edition of the festival,” the statement read.
They are hoping the festival can take place after the situation stabilises.
“A charitable amount of LE 5 Million has been donated to fortify the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, in partnership with the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development and the Egyptian Red Crescent Society ... El Gouna Film Festival has, since its inception, adopted the principle of ‘Cinema for Humanity’ as a core belief bolstering all humanitarian understanding values. The GFF management aspires for the resumption of the 6th edition, when the situation stabilises ...," they added.
El Gouna Film Festival is always a star-studded affair and has seen the best of Arabic talents and Hollywood stars attend.