The ninth edition of El Gouna Film Festival, scheduled to take place from October 15 to October 23, features a diverse selection of Egyptian films across several competitions and programs.
Egyptian productions are represented in the feature film, documentary and short film competitions, offering a wide range of stories, themes and cinematic perspectives from emerging and established filmmakers.
Egyptian Films in the Feature Film Competition
Safe Exit
Safe Exit is competing in the feature film competition and was written and directed by Mohamed Hammad.
The film follows Samaan, a young Coptic security guard working in a residential building in central Cairo. During his night shifts, he spends his time writing stories while pursuing his dream of publishing his first novel.
Despite his seemingly calm personality, Samaan suffers from chronic post-traumatic stress after witnessing his father's killing by an extremist terrorist group during his childhood.
His life changes when he crosses paths with a young woman amid the noise and crowded streets of Cairo. What begins as a simple encounter gradually develops into an unusual friendship that helps break down the emotional barriers he has built around his trauma.
Produced by Kholoud Saad, the film stars Marwan Walid and Nora Ahmed. It had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February before receiving its Asian premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June.
The film was also nominated for Best Screenplay at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Egyptian Films in the Documentary Competition
The Return of Captain Kabonga
The Return of Captain Kabonga, directed by Amir El-Shenawy, is part of the festival's feature documentary competition.
The 2026 Egyptian documentary runs for 115 minutes and follows a group of amateur wrestlers from Ismailia and their veteran coach against the backdrop of Egypt's economic crisis.
The film chronicles their ambitious attempt to recreate the spectacle of professional wrestling, highlighting their aspirations and the challenges they encounter along the way.
The project attracted considerable attention within the film industry and received support from Afaq and CineGouna.
Big Boys Don't Cry
Big Boys Don't Cry, directed by Mohamed Mostafa, is another documentary competing in the feature documentary category.
The 76-minute production is a co-production between Egypt, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The documentary enters the highly masculine world of bodybuilders and nightclub security guards in Cairo, where sculpted bodies project images of strength and control.
Behind that carefully constructed image, however, the film explores vulnerability and the cracks that appear beneath performances of masculinity.
As the men around him negotiate and reconstruct their masculine identities, the director also turns the camera toward himself, confronting his own doubts as a filmmaker and his vulnerability as a man.
The film will have its world premiere at the festival.
Egyptian Films in the Short Film Competition
Disquiet
Disquiet, directed by Mariam Abdelgaber, is competing in the short film category.
The Egyptian Arabic-language film was produced in 2026, has a runtime of 14 minutes and will have its world premiere at the festival.
The story follows a young cloakroom attendant at a large store who receives a mysterious envelope from an elderly customer who regularly visits the shop.
Inside the envelope is a key and a desperate final request: to check on the woman's apartment if she suddenly disappears.
When the elderly woman stops appearing, the young employee goes to the apartment and discovers her body.
Instead of calling for help, she begins wandering through the home, putting on the woman's clothes and taking her ring, sending the story into an unsettling and psychologically mysterious direction.
The Diversity of Egyptian Cinema at El Gouna
The Egyptian participation in the ninth edition of El Gouna Film Festival highlights the diversity of contemporary Egyptian cinema, ranging from psychological drama and personal trauma to wrestling, masculinity and unsettling short-form storytelling.
These films provide different perspectives from Egyptian filmmakers while bringing a broad range of themes and cinematic approaches to the festival's competitive programs.
When will the ninth edition of El Gouna Film Festival take place?
The ninth edition is scheduled to run from October 15 to October 23.
Which Egyptian films are participating?
The featured titles include Safe Exit, The Return of Captain Kabonga, Big Boys Don't Cry and Disquiet.
Which competition features Safe Exit?
Safe Exit is competing in the feature film competition.
Who directed The Return of Captain Kabonga?
The documentary was directed by Amir El-Shenawy.
Who directed Disquiet?
Disquiet was directed by Mariam Abdelgaber.
