The 8th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival will take place from October 16 to 24, 2025, providing a prominent platform for Arab and international cinema under the theme: "Cinema for Humanity."

This year, the festival will showcase 70 feature, short, and documentary films, alongside 35 workshops and discussion sessions with Arab and international artists. The edition also celebrates the 35th anniversary of the founding of El Gouna city.

12 Arab and International Documentary Films

The documentary competition this year features 12 Arab and international films, including works that have attracted attention at various international festivals. The selection emphasizes stories and human experiences that may receive less coverage in Arab critical discourse compared to global audiences.

Palestine once again has a strong presence, as in previous editions, through the program "A Window on Palestine," which highlights Palestinian experiences and narratives in distinguished cinematic productions.

Opening Film: Happy Birthday

The festival opens with the film "Happy Birthday," representing Egypt in the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. Directed by Sara Johar with screenplay contributions from Mohamed Diab, the film features a star-studded cast including Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie, and the child actress Doha Ramadan.

The festival will also honor actress Mona Shalaby with a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating her career spanning over 25 years, which includes landmark films such as “Bahib El Cinema,” “He Fouda,” “Wasat El Balad,” and “Torab El Mas”, among others.

Additionally, the festival commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late director Youssef Chahine, regarded as the spiritual father of new waves of Arab cinema, while highlighting directors who have followed in his footsteps.

Documentary Competition Highlights

Among the 12 competing documentaries are:

• "50 Meters" – A co-production from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Denmark, directed by Yumna Khattab.
• "Tales of the Wounded Land" – Directed by Abbas Fadel (Lebanon).
• "Observers’ Side" – Directed by Karima Saidi (Qatari, Belgian, French co-production).
• "Life After Saham" – Directed by Namer Abdelsameeh (Egyptian-French production).

The competition also features films from Italy, China, Peru, Czech Republic, France, Iran, and Croatia, reflecting the international diversity of the event.

Supporting New Projects

In its support for emerging projects, the festival selected 20 projects out of 290 submissions to receive production support. Additionally, 20 European films were chosen to compete for the Arab Critics Awards.