Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – The El Gouna Film Festival opened its seventh session, Thursday, with sections celebrating the history and influence of Egyptian cinema, a tribute to the artist Mahmoud Hemida, and a tribute to the souls of the Egyptians. who left stars and artists in 2024. The activities of the festival will extend until November 1. The next second.
The founder of the festival, the businessman Naguib Sawiris, in a speech in English to the foreign guests of the festival, noted “the suffering of the people in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, and Ukraine,” and asked for “a stop to put on the wars,” affirming that the culture of his country Egypt“The culture of peace.”
The opening event, presented by the artist Basma and the artist Sedqi Sakhr, focused on the history of Egyptian cinema and its influence, through a segment presented by the presenter of the program “Al-Daheh”, Ahmed Ghadour, on at the beginning of the ceremony, and “Medley,” one of the most famous Egyptian film songs, performed by the artists: Mohamed Al-Sharnoubi, and Here Yousry , and Nouran Abu Talib, and finished e with a short film entitled “The Origin of the Story.”
The festival honored the Egyptian artist Mahmoud Hemida with the “Creative Achievement” award, which was given to him by the director Enas El Deghaidy in his speech during his honor, Hemida revealed a dream that he could not fulfill, which a city was to be built where festivals would be held in Egypt, in Marsa Alam.
He said that the brothers Naguib and Samih Sawiris achieved what he dreamed of achieving through the city of El Gouna and its film festival, which he wanted for their continuation and success.
At the opening ceremony of its seventh session, the El Gouna Festival paid tribute to the souls of several stars and artists in Egypt, who died in 2024, and they are the artists. Salah al-SaadaniandSherine Saif Al-NasrandNahid RushdieJamil Barsoum, Ahmed Farhat, the late composer Helmy Bakr, director of photography, Diaa Gawish, and producers Hossam Shawky, Fathi Ismail, Mahmoud Kamal, and Tamer Fathi. Who died in a terrible accident early last August.
In her speech, the artistic director of the festival, Marianne Khoury, mentioned the crises facing the El Gouna Festival “until the last moments” before the opening ceremony, but she did not address the “film crisis opening”, which was covered by many Egyptian media.
The film “The Last Miracles” by director Abdel Wahab Shawky, based on a story by the late Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, was scheduled to be shown at the opening of the festival this year.
However, the censorship of Works of Art suddenly withdrew the permits to show the film, despite the previous showing being approved, and hours before the start of the El Gouna Film Festival, according to what several Egyptian media reported. , and this is what an Egyptian critic said. Tarek El-Shenawy also mentioned in a blog post that he published on his Facebook page.
The festival management replaced it with the Croatian short film “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”, which won the Palme d’Or. Cannes Festival Fèis Film 2024, and they announced a change to the screening of the opening film in a short official statement, without explaining the reasons.
