The El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has finalised its Feature Documentary Competition lineup for the eighth edition, featuring an impressive array of 12 international titles. Notable additions include Gianfranco Rosi’s Below the Clouds, honoured with the Special Jury Award at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, and Sepideh Farsi’s Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk.
This year’s program showcases a rich variety of cinematic perspectives, intertwining the works of established filmmakers with those of emerging talents. The selection covers a broad spectrum of themes, from intimate personal narratives to comprehensive conflict and social change portrayals.
Andrew Mohsen, Head of Film Programming at GFF, commented, “The documentary competition stands as a pivotal element of our festival, and this year’s offerings truly reflect the diversity and depth of the genre. We are delighted to welcome Gianfranco Rosi’s work back after screening his film Notturno in our fourth edition.”
Artistic Director Marianne Khoury emphasised the significance of documentary filmmaking in today’s world: “Documentaries play a crucial role in reflecting our reality and preserving the narratives of our time. The films in this competition demonstrate the profound impact of non-fiction cinema in broadening our perspectives and nurturing empathy. I’m especially proud to have included two Egyptian films, Namir Abdel Messeeh’s Life After Siham. This lineup serves as a showcase of exceptional films and a lens into the diverse human experiences that unite us.”
The 12 titles selected for competition are: 50 Meters by Yomna Khattab, Always by Deming Chen, Below the Clouds by Gianfranco Rosi, Better Go Mad in the Wild by Miro Remo, How to Build a Library by Maia Lekow, Kabul, Between Prayers by Aboozar Amini, Life After Siham by Namir Abdel Messeeh, Orwell: 2+2=5 by Raoul Peck, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk by Sepideh Farsi, Tales of the Wounded Land by Abbas Fahdel, Those Who Watch Over by Karima Saïdi, and Wind, Talk to Me by Stefan Djordjevic.
The films will compete for four awards. These include the El Gouna Golden Star for Documentary Film, which comes with a trophy and a US$30,000 prize; the El Gouna Silver Star for Documentary Film, with a medal and a US$15,000 prize; and the El Gouna Bronze Star for Documentary Film, awarded with a trophy and a US$7,500 prize. Additionally, one film will receive the El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Documentary Film, which carries a trophy and a US$10,000 prize.
