CineGouna Funding, the industry platform of the El Gouna Film Festival, has launched Egyptian Voices, a new non-competitive training and mentorship lab to help Egyptian filmmakers develop feature film projects and prepare them for financing.
The initiative was created in response to a recurring challenge identified by CineGouna Funding, which receives more than 100 Egyptian film projects in development each year. While many demonstrate strong creative and commercial potential, some require additional professional guidance to strengthen their project materials and improve their ability to attract potential financiers.
For its inaugural edition, Egyptian Voices will select four Egyptian projects from submissions previously made to CineGouna Funding’s Projects in Development category. There will be no separate open call. Instead, each selected project will receive tailored training and mentorship based on its specific development needs and challenges.
The programme will focus on strengthening the key elements required to move projects towards financing. Filmmakers will receive support in areas including project materials, film dossiers, presentations and production plans. Rather than following a standardised curriculum, the training will be customised to address the individual requirements of each project.
Ahmed Shawky, Head of CineGouna Funding, said the initiative emerged from years of observing promising projects that required additional training, mentorship and professional guidance before they could be effectively presented to investors and financiers. He described Egyptian Voices as a practical initiative designed to help these projects evolve and reach a stronger stage of development.
The new lab builds on CineGouna Funding’s broader support for Arab cinema through its two established tracks: Projects in Development and Films in Post-Production. Now in its ninth year, the programme has supported more than 150 Arab films, with financial and in-kind awards exceeding US$300,000.
The 2026 CineGouna Funding programme will take place during the ninth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival, scheduled for 15–23 October 2026 in El Gouna. CineGouna Funding’s industry activities will run from 16–22 October, supporting feature-length narrative and documentary projects from across the Arab world.
Selected participants will benefit from expert mentorship, technical feedback and networking opportunities, alongside financial and professional awards delivered through partnerships with regional and international organisations.
Egyptian Voices forms part of a wider expansion of CineGouna’s industry initiatives, which increasingly target different stages of the filmmaking process and a broader range of emerging industry professionals. In 2026, CineGouna launched CineGouna Series, a development platform supporting Arab television and streaming projects, while CineGouna Emerge continues to provide opportunities for emerging filmmakers and early-career professionals across the film and media industries.
The launch comes as the El Gouna Film Festival prepares for its ninth edition under Artistic Director Andrew Mohsen. Founded in 2017, the festival has established CineGouna as an important industry platform connecting Egyptian and Arab filmmakers with regional and international producers, financiers, distributors and other film professionals.
With the introduction of Egyptian Voices, CineGouna Funding is further strengthening its role not only as a source of financial support but also as a development platform that helps promising Egyptian projects become more professionally prepared, investment-ready, and positioned for international opportunities.
