El Gouna Film Festival is proud to announce the continuation of its collaboration with Cinema Zawya in Cairo for the fourth consecutive year, bringing a curated selection of the festival's finest films to film lovers in the capital.

The "El Gouna at Zawya" initiative is one of the avenues through which the festival seeks to share highlights from its cinematic lineup with Zawya's passionate audience. This collaboration has proven successful over past editions, drawing strong audience turnout and positive reception from Cairo's film community.

The initiative showcases seven selected films from the lineup of the ninth edition of El Gouna Film Festival, scheduled to take place from October 15 to 23, 2026. The screenings at Zawya will run from October 17 to 22. This partnership forms part of the festival's commitment to making world-class cinema accessible to audiences and presenting carefully curated titles to a wider film-loving public.

This year's selected films are:
Fatherland

Pawel Pawlikowski | Poland, Germany, Italy, France | German, English, French, Russian | 82 mins

From the director of Ida (2013) and Cold War (2018), an evocative cinematic canvas exploring themes of identity, family, love, and guilt amid post-war European upheavals. Starring Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler as Erika and Thomas Mann, the film follows the two on a road journey across Europe.

Citizen Osama

Ahmed Hassouna | Palestine, France | Arabic | 69 mins

Amid the genocidal war in Gaza, a photographer risks everything to document multiple stories of loss and survival. Filmed over twelve months, this intimate and authentic portrait of Osama lays bare the human cost of conflict through the eyes of those who refuse to look away.

Hold on to Me

Myrsini Aristidou | Cyprus, Denmark, Greece | Greek | 102 mins

An eleven-year-old girl tracks down her estranged father, whom she barely knows, gradually building an imperfect and fragile bond with him. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

Rose

Markus Schleinzer | Austria, Germany | German | 93 mins

A stranger enters a war-torn village disguised as a diligent and devout newly arrived farmer, while hiding a daring deception at the core of their assumed identity. The film is Austria's official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2027 Academy Awards.

American Doctor

Poh Si Teng | Debut Feature | United States, Qatar, Denmark, Palestine | English, Arabic | 93 mins

Three American doctors from different backgrounds enter Gaza to save lives, only to find themselves risking everything to bear witness and speak the truth. Directed by Poh Si Teng, producer of the Oscar-nominated Saint Louis Superman, the film premiered at Sundance and later screened at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, where it received the Amnesty International Award.

Pipes (Qasatel)

Karim Kassem | Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia | Arabic | 112 mins

In a drought-stricken Lebanese village, a retired water authority worker is pulled back into duty when the disappearance of a water pipe triggers chaos across the local community. As pressures rise and villagers demand answers, the search descends into the absurd, blending dry humor with grief and disillusionment while the unexplained death of a friend lingers over the landscape.

Mariinka

Pieter-Jan De Pue | Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden | Ukrainian, English, Russian | 94 mins

Shot on 16mm raw film, Mariinka follows five young Ukrainians whose lives are fractured by political conflict, driving them toward tragic choices, including two orphaned brothers fighting on opposing sides. Filmed over a decade, it offers a poetic exploration of human resilience and opened CPH:DOX, where it won the Audience Award.

El Gouna Film Festival:

El Gouna Film Festival is one of the leading festivals in the MENA region, showcasing a wide and diverse range of films from around the world, with special focus on Arab cinema, before an engaged and knowledgeable audience.

The festival fosters cross-cultural dialogue through the art of filmmaking by connecting regional filmmakers with international peers. In addition to supporting the growth of the regional film industry, it serves as a platform to discover emerging voices and talent while celebrating established auteurs.

Cinema Zawya:

Zawya is an independent cinema platform based in Cairo dedicated to screening and distributing distinguished cinema. It was established in 2014 following the success of six editions of the Panorama of the European Film.

Cinema Zawya offers an eclectic program featuring works from across the globe, including feature-length narratives, shorts, documentaries, and experimental films, presented through regular theatrical releases, retrospectives, and curated film series.

Alongside its regular programming, Zawya annually organizes two film festivals: the Panorama of the European Film and the Zawya Short Film Festival.