In the lead-up to its ninth round, El Gouna Film Festival has announced the appointment of film critic Andrew Mohsen as its new artistic director, succeeding Marianne Khoury. The move comes at a moment when the festival appears more stable and defined, following an eighth round that received strong feedback on both its film programme and its industry activities.
Mohsen is no newcomer to the festival. He has been part of its programming team for three years and has led it over the past two. “I feel I’m coming in at a good moment,” Mohsen says. “There’s success, and there are many steps that have already been taken.” For him, the task is not to rethink the festival from scratch, but to build on what is already working while improving coordination and expanding reach. “We also need to maintain what has been achieved and work on expanding the international side of the festival.”
An international presence, he notes, is already part of El Gouna through its programming and its forum activities, but Mohsen believes it should still grow. “We need to expand it further. The goal is for El Gouna to be a main meeting point for the film industry in the region.” This broader view reflects a shift in how the role of artistic director is understood today. According to Mohsen, programming films is no longer the only responsibility attached to the position. “Programming is part of the job, but it’s no longer the only part,” he says. “There is a key role in coordinating between departments, especially since the festival has had a strong industry section from the beginning.”
At El Gouna, that industry section includes several established strands, led by figures such as Mariam Naoum at the forum, Ahmed Shawky at the fund, and Hayat Al- Gouly at Emerge. Mohsen stresses that the strength of these sections makes coordination between them even more important. “It’s important to have a clear system that connects all these parts,” he says. “There needs to be a structure that ensures they work together effectively.”
He also points to the flexibility of the current team as a strength. “There is already a high level of coordination, and that comes from having a professional team that has worked together for years.” For Mohsen, this coordination is not just internal. It has a direct impact on how the festival is experienced. “It reflects on the schedule,” he says. “A good schedule means people can attend more events without conflicts, and that allows them to get the most out of the festival.” At the same time, he notes that development is ongoing. “We’re trying to introduce new ideas and develop existing ones,” he says. “This will become clearer in the coming period.”
Among the elements he sees as already successful is the forum. Over the last two years, it has grown in both scale and visibility. “The forum has been one of the strongest aspects of the festival,” he says. “It has developed a lot, especially in the last two years, and it has become more attractive to a wider audience.” He attributes this to the choice of topics and guests. “There has been a clear effort in selecting ideas and inviting people who can draw attention.”
The expansion of Emerge has also played a role in changing the festival’s audience. “It has opened up the festival to younger filmmakers,” he says. “We are seeing more young people attending, and that has affected the overall atmosphere.” At the same time, Mohsen believes there is still room for development, particularly in bringing in more international expertise and increasing the number of specialised workshops.
Funding remains another area of focus, but also one of the most challenging. Mohsen points out that in recent years competition between festivals has changed. “Before, the competition was mainly about films,” he says, “now it’s also about projects, whether they are in development or post-production.” This shift has made it harder to attract projects. “There is more competition, and that makes things more difficult,” he says. “We need to find ways to attract filmmakers at earlier stages.” Part of that involves increasing the value of the support offered. “Filmmakers think about what they will get in return,” he says. “So increasing grants and support opportunities is important.”
At the same time, he highlights another form of support that is not purely financial. “Some festivals don’t offer large grants, but they provide strong development opportunities,” he says. “Workshops can have a big impact on projects and on filmmakers themselves.” El Gouna, he adds, is trying to move further in that direction. “We are working on developing this side as well.” However, building a full development structure requires resources. “It needs budget and the right timing,” he says. “This is something we are currently studying.”
On the short film side, Mohsen refers to an earlier initiative that supported short film projects during the festival’s seventh round. “It had a strong response from filmmakers,” he says. “But it stopped last year due to funding issues. There are attempts now to find support to bring it back.” When it comes to programming, Mohsen’s approach remains consistent with the festival’s existing direction, but with a clearer articulation of its balance.
“The idea is to have a programme that includes major films, films that have won awards, generated buzz and screened at major festivals, alongside important discoveries,” he says. He notes that audiences in the region expect to see internationally recognised films. “People come to festivals expecting to see films by well-known directors,” he says. “Even if we don’t have world premieres, regional premieres are important.” Screening films from major festivals such as the Venice Film Festival remains a key part of that strategy. “If a film hasn’t been widely screened before, it becomes a strong attraction.”
At the same time, Mohsen stresses that awards alone do not define a strong programme. “It’s not possible to have 70 or 80 films all with major awards,” he says. “The strength of programming is in having good films, even if they haven’t won prizes.” He points to examples from recent editions. “There were films that didn’t have major awards but attracted a lot of attention,” he says. “A film like A Poet created a strong response, and audiences asked for an additional screening.” For Mohsen, this balance is essential. “Big films help bring attention, but they also help smaller films reach audiences,” he says.
Scheduling and promotion also play a role. “Good scheduling and promotion make the whole programme more attractive,” he says. “It’s about creating a balanced experience.” This balance has also affected audience engagement with different types of films. “We’ve seen more interest in documentaries,” he says. He refers to the documentary 7 Winters in Tehran, which was screened at the festival. “It had two full screenings, and the audience asked for a third,” he says. “That shows how things are changing.”
Audience response, in general, is something Mohsen takes seriously. “We pay attention to how people react,” he says. “Which films attract audiences, which halls are full, which times work better.” This information feeds directly into planning. “It helps us in programming and scheduling.” He is also clear about what he wants to avoid. “The worst thing is to have a very good film and no audience in the theatre,” he says. Another area he is keen to maintain is the inclusion of commercial films within the programme, as long as they meet a certain level of quality. “We are trying to create a balance between artistic films and good commercial films,” he says.
This is particularly relevant in Egypt: “There is a strong divide between what is called art cinema and commercial cinema. We are trying to bridge that.” He cites examples such as The Gentlemen by Karim El Shennawy and Love Imagined by Sara Razeq, both of which premiered at El Gouna and later performed well with audiences. “These are films that can reach a wider audience while still being good,” he says. “We want to keep that.”
On the question of competition with other festivals in the region, Mohsen takes a measured view. “There needs to be a middle ground,” he says. “Some films benefit from being shown at more than one festival.” In his view, strict exclusivity can be limiting. “The biggest loss is for the audience, and also for filmmakers.” He notes that discussions with other festivals are ongoing. “There is communication,” he says. “And there is a need to rethink how premieres are handled.”
His collaboration with Amr Mansi, co-founder and executive director of the festival, is another key aspect of his new role. “He is very ambitious,” Mohsen says. “He always pushes for big ideas, even if they seem difficult.” He also points to Mansi’s role in developing the festival’s structure. “In the past three editions, there has been clear progress on the executive level,” he says. Projects such as the GFF Hub, which now serves as a central meeting point for festival activities, reflect this approach. “It wasn’t there a few years ago,” Mohsen says. “Now it’s a main space for everyone.”
He also highlights how successful ideas are expanded. “The Emerge programme started as an idea and grew after it proved successful,” he says. Similarly, collaborations such as the Egyptian pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, in partnership with the Cairo International Film Festival, are continuing to develop. “He supports ideas and tries to make them happen,” Mohsen says of Mansi. “And he understands the team well.”
The programming team itself remains international. “We still have programmers from different countries,” Mohsen says. “From Egypt, Lebanon, Italy, France, the US and India.” For him, such diversity is essential: “Each person brings a different perspective. That makes the programme richer.”
Looking ahead, Mohsen places his ambitions within the context of the festival’s upcoming, tenth round. “The next two rounds are important,” he says. “They should reflect what the festival has achieved so far.” His main goal is clear: “To see more audience attendance across all activities.” For Mohsen, the audience remains central. “The audience is what allows the festival to take risks. Whether in programming or in activities.” It is a practical ambition, but one that reflects a broader understanding of what gives a festival its real weight: not only the films it screens, but the people it manages to bring into the room.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 April, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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