El Gouna’s Amr Mansi on CineGouna Expansion, New Partnerships and Making ‘the Industry Our Hero’
El Gouna Film Festival co-founder Amr Mansi says the festival is widening its industry programme to support more filmmakers and strengthen its role in regional cinema. CineGouna is expanding into television and streaming series, while the festival also seeks new commercial and international partners.
CineGouna Funding received more than 310 submissions and selected 13 projects in development and six films in post-production; a new Egyptian Voices initiative supports four local projects. Its first series programme drew more than 125 submissions for six places, while Safe Harbour MENA brings four displaced filmmakers to El Gouna. Last year, the festival sold more than 40,000 tickets and issued over 7,000 accreditations, with attendance up 30 per cent.
- CineGouna is expanding into television and streaming series.
- New programmes aim to support more Arab and Egyptian filmmakers.
- El Gouna attendance rose 30 per cent last year.