The tourism sector in Egypt is set to receive a boost as the country prepares to host film makers from around the world from October 23-31 in the at the luxurious Red Sea resort town of El Gouna.
The mission of El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) is to showcase a lot of a wide variety of films for a passionate and knowledgeable audience; while fostering better communication between cultures through the art of filmmaking. Its goal is to connect filmmakers from the region with their international counterparts in the spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange.
The festival is committed to the discovery of new voices and strives to be a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world, particularly through its industry segment, CineGouna Platform.
The fourth (4th) edition of this international event, which will screen 65 films, including 11 world premieres is under the theme “The Culture of Dreams,” focusing on the diverse cultures of the region.
During a press conference at The Nile Ritz Carlton under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities, the Ministry of Health & Population, the Ministry of Culture and the Egyptian Film Centre
Co-founder of the El Gouna Film Festival billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris, said, “The festival will send out a reassuring message of the necessity to resume life routine and accept the coexistence measures,”
During the conference, the broad outline of this year’s edition was presented including the lineup of film selections, festival events, activities, participating film professionals and movie stars, as well as the recipients of the Career Achievement Award.
“Like similar international film festivals that took place recently, we are eager to prove that Egypt can do the same, and we will take all necessary precautionary measures to protect its guests and tourists,” Sawiris said.
Egypt’s tourism revenues hit 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, the highest in the country’s history, according to figures released by the Central Bank of Egypt. But the sector has suffered greatly since the start of this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to a sharp decline in international tourist arrivals.
Egypt resumed air traffic at the beginning of July and opened archaeological sites, museums, and hotels after nearly four months of closure, in a bid to revive tourism, the major source of foreign currency. Source: Africa6News
