24/12/2023 - The industry event at the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt handed multiple cash and in-kind awards to projects co-produced with Europe, including Palestinian-Canadian-French mockumentary Theft of Fire

The winners of the 2023 edition of CineGouna SpringBoard (© El Gouna Film Festival)

The El Gouna Film Festival, which unspooled its 6^th edition from 14 to 22 December, presented not only a diverse film program comprising titles from the region as well as festival darlings, but also an industry sidebar, named CineGouna. One of its key elements is the SpringBoard – a lab dedicated to projects in development and at the post-production stage. The platform has gained popularity in the region, with 160 projects submitted this year and 19 — 12 in development and 7 in post-production — selected to participate in this presentation to industry professionals and to the jury composed of Hala Khalil (Egypt), Guillaume de Seille (France) and George David (Jordan). 31 cash or in-kind prizes were given overall, and the CineGouna Platform Awards worth $15,000 went to Palestinian-Canadian-French mockumentary Theft of Fire by Amer Shomali (in development) and to Iraqi-Saudi-American documentary She Was Not Alone by Hussein Al-Asadi (in post-production). The first of these films revolves around a fabricated art theft, while the latter focuses on an Iraqi woman facing the challenges of the ecological catastrophe. According to Ahmed Shawky, the newly-appointed head of SpringBoard, these two films “tackle many important questions and topics for the region.”  He adds to that list the Lebanese film So Lovers Could Come Out Again by George Peter Barbari: “I think SpringBoard is one of the very first platforms in the region to adopt and select a queer project.” Out of the 19 projects, as much as 11 have European partners from France, Germany, Denmark and Belgium. “I think the importance of co-production with Europeans became crucial for most of the Arab films,” Shawky tells Cineuropa, adding: “Any quick look at the list of annually produced films from the region in the last 10, 15 years, you will quickly find that the presence and the importance of co-productions is there. Of course, filmmakers should be cautious to keep their voices.” The CineGouna program also offered its usual networking sessions and an array of discussion panels, addressing topics such as the importance of IP and AI, working with streamers and a masterclass with French thesp Christophe Lambert.

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The list of main awards:

Cinegouna Platform Awards
For a project in development
Theft of Fire - Amer Shomali (Palestine/Canada/France)

For a project in post-production
She Was Not Alone - Hussein Al-Asadi (Iraq/Saudi Arabia/USA)

O West grant
Tunis-Djerba - Amel Guellaty (Tunisia/France/Qatar)

Arab Radio and Television (ART) grant
Yammi - Hinde Boujemaa (Tunisia/Belgium/France)

Synergy Films grant
Crocodopolis - Omar Manjouneh (Egypt/Germany/USA)

Blue Bee Productions grant
A Tale of a Feather and a Fish - Ahmed El-Hawarey (Egypt)

Resala Production grant
Theft of Fire -  Amer Shomali (Palestine/Canada/France)

French Embassy in Egypt / French Institute grant for an Egyptian project
The 4 Choices of Albert – Hala Galal (Egypt)

Hwadi grant for a project in development
Yammi - Hinde Boujemaa (Tunisia/Belgium/France)

Hwadi grant for a project in post-production
She Was Not Alone - Hussein Al-Asadi (Iraq/Saudi Arabia/USA)

Lagoonie Film Production grant
Crocodopolis - Omar Manjouneh (Egypt/Germany/USA)

Jordan Royal Film Commission grant
The Beach Boys – Dima El-Horr (Lebanon/France)

Ambient Light grant
Yammi - Hinde Boujemaa (Tunisia/Belgium/France)
Assa, a Fish in a Bowl – Dahlia Nemlich (Lebanon/France/Denmark)

Ambient Light in-kind awards
The 4 Choices of Albert – Hala Galal (Egypt)
So the Lovers Could Come Out Again - George Peter Barbari (Lebanon)
A Yemeni Documentary Project
Tunis-Djerba - Amel Guellaty (Tunisia/France/Qatar)

MAD Solution MG for sales and distribution awards
Girl of Wind - Moufida Fedhila (Tunisia)
Specters of Alhoot - Ahmad Mahmoud (Sudan)

CineWaves MG for sales and distribution awards
Spring Came on Laughing - Noha Adel (Egypt/France)

Sard grant
Specters of Alhoot - Ahmad Mahmoud (Sudan)

The Big Bang Studios grant
Spring Came on Laughing - Noha Adel (Egypt/France)

The Big Bang Studios in-kind award
Theft of Fire -  Amer Shomali (Palestine, Canada, France)
Diaries from Lebanon [+see also:
film review
interview: Myriam El Hajj
film profile] -  Myriam El Hajj (Lebanon/France/Qatar/Saudi Arabia)

Shift Studios in-kind award
A Tale of a Feather and a Fish - Ahmed El-Hawarey (Egypt)
The Last Man - Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Canada)

Bee Media Productions in-kind award
The 4 Choices of Albert – Hala Galal (Egypt)
The Last Man - Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Canada)

Invitation to an Arab producer to attend Rotterdam Film Lab from Arab Cinema
Crocodopolis - Omar Manjouneh (Egypt/Germany/USA)