El Gouna Unveils Third Cohort Of CineGouna Emerge Program’s Rising Stars
El Gouna Film Festival has named five filmmakers from across the Arab world for the third cohort of its Rising Stars programme. The initiative, launched in 2024 as part of CineGouna Emerge, aims to connect emerging MENA film professionals with industry leaders and give their work greater visibility.
The selected talents are Egyptian director Abdallah Dnewar, Saudi writer-director Razan AlSoghayer, Palestinian filmmaker Omar Rammal, Palestinian-Jordanian director-producer Asmahan Bkerat and Syrian filmmaker Rama Abdi. Their recent work includes award-winning shorts and documentaries, festival selections and projects in development; Abdi is presenting her documentary feature *House Number 7* in CineGouna’s funding showcase. The cohort will take part in festival activities including panels and media engagements.
- El Gouna named five filmmakers for its third Rising Stars cohort.
- The programme connects emerging Arab talent with film industry leaders.
- Members bring award-winning and festival-selected work.
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El Gouna Film Festival is an annual film event held in Egypt, bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences. CineGouna is its platform for supporting film projects and connecting people working in the industry.
CineGouna Emerge focuses on early-career film professionals from the Middle East and North Africa. Its Rising Stars programme introduces selected filmmakers to industry leaders and gives them opportunities to present their work and build professional connections.
The programme’s participants include directors, writers and producers, whose work ranges from short films and documentaries to projects still in development. Such initiatives can help emerging filmmakers find collaborators, funding and audiences for their films.