El Gouna Film Festival 2026

About El Gouna Film Festival

El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) launched in 2017 and has quickly established itself as one of the most significant film platforms in the Arab world. It runs for nine days each October in El Gouna, the planned resort town on the Red Sea coast about 22 km north of Hurghada.

The festival has three main competition strands: the International Feature Film competition, the Arab Feature Film competition, and a Documentary competition. Past editions have screened world premieres and award-winning films that later found distribution across Europe and North America. Alongside screenings, GFF hosts industry panels, pitching forums for Arab filmmakers, and masterclasses with international directors and producers.

The Setting

El Gouna is purpose-built as a holiday resort, which makes for an unusual festival experience. Screenings happen at outdoor and indoor venues across the town, including the open-air cinema on the marina. The Red Sea backdrop, warm October nights, and the physical compactness of the resort create an intimate atmosphere compared with larger urban festivals. You can walk between most venues in under fifteen minutes.

October temperatures in El Gouna are comfortable - typically 28-32°C during the day and around 22°C in the evenings. Evenings by the marina after screenings have a relaxed, social character.

Practical Information

Tickets: Individual screening tickets and festival passes are sold through the GFF website. Accreditation for industry professionals is handled separately. The opening and closing ceremonies are typically by invitation, but most competition screenings are accessible to the public.

Getting there: Fly into Hurghada International Airport, then take a taxi or shuttle to El Gouna (around 25-30 minutes, approximately USD 15-20 as of 2026). Some hotels offer transfers from the airport.

Accommodation: El Gouna has hotels at all price points from three-star beachfront properties to five-star resorts. Rooms book out during festival week, particularly at hotels with marina views close to the main screening venues. Book at least six weeks in advance.

Combining with diving: El Gouna sits on the Red Sea with access to some of Egypt’s best dive sites. Several visitors use the festival as an anchor and build a diving trip around it. Dive centres in El Gouna run PADI courses and daily dive boats to nearby reefs year-round.

GFF is one of Egypt’s most internationally visible cultural events. If you are in Egypt in October and have an interest in Arab cinema, it is a well-organised and accessible festival worth attending.