El Gouna Film Festival Names First 10 Titles for Its Ninth Edition
Films by Cannes prize-winning directors Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Pawel Pawlikowski are among the first ten titles announced for the ninth El Gouna Film Festival, Variety reports.
19 August 2026
The El Gouna Film Festival has unveiled the first 10 titles of its ninth edition, a selection that includes films by Cannes prize-winning directors Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Pawel Pawlikowski, according to Variety.
The trade publication's report, also carried on IMDb's news listing, presents the two directors as the headline draw of the opening selection. The full slate has not been published, and the festival has not yet released its complete programme.
Several details that matter to anyone planning a trip around the festival are still outstanding: the announcement gives no screening dates, no venue list, and no information on ticketing or public access.
The festival is staged in El Gouna, the Red Sea resort town north of Hurghada, and its editions bring international directors, jury members and press to the town alongside the regular resort season. It is the second film event on this coast to make news in recent weeks, after the Hurghada Youth Cinema Festival announced the opening film of its fourth edition.
For residents and visitors, the announcement is an early signal rather than a plan. It confirms the ninth edition is going ahead with an internationally weighted line-up, but dates, venues and access details will have to come from the festival itself.