Arwa Gouda: My husband prevents me from entering the kitchen, and my wedding is next month.

Actress Arwa Gouda announced her upcoming wedding date during her attendance at the opening ceremony of the 8th El Gouna Film Festival, which recently kicked off amidst a joyful atmosphere and a large artistic presence. Arwa Gouda explained that her wedding will take place on November 28, noting that her husband prevents her from entering the kitchen because he "cooks better than her," as she put it. This sparked widespread interaction among attendees and social media users.

El Gouna stars' looks steal the spotlight

The festival's opening ceremony was full of elegance and sparkle on the red carpet, with star Maya Diab capturing attention with her bold and striking look, while actress Sherine Reda appeared in an elegant black dress that caught the attention of photographers. Actress Dorra also stood out with her soft, feminine look in a fluffy dress that stole hearts. Actor Nicolas Mouawad also made a striking appearance, wearing a dazzling, shiny suit that captivated everyone.

A wide artistic presence at the opening ceremony The red carpet witnessed a large attendance of film stars and makers, including: the festival's executive director, Amr Mansy, and his wife; producer Marianne Khoury; director Hala Khalil; critic Tarek El-Shennawy; critic Ahmed Shawky; director Tamer El-Ashry; writer Mariam Naoum; Albert Shafik; Mai El-Gheity; Boussy Shalaby; Yasmina El-Abd; Hana Shiha; Hussein Fahmy and his wife; Mahmoud Hemeida, his daughter and grandson; and Entishal El-Tamimi. Elham Shaheen, Mais Hamdan, Khaled Youssef, Mahira Abdel Aziz, Mahmoud El Esseily and his wife, Taha Desouky and his wife, Mai Selim, Bushra, Maged El Masry and his son, Abeer Sabry, Ahmed Hatem, Alaa Arafa, Basma Hassan, Yousra El Lozy, and Adel Karam also attended.

Menna Shalaby wins the "Creative Achievement" award

One of the highlights of the eighth edition of El Gouna Film Festival this year was the honoring of star Menna Shalaby with the Creative Achievement Award, in recognition of her distinguished artistic career and influential roles in Egyptian and Arab cinema. The current edition will also feature international star Cate Blanchett as the festival's guest of honor, where she will be honored with the "Humanitarian Hero" award in recognition of her artistic and humanitarian contributions around the world.

70 films from around the world in the eighth session

This year's festival program includes approximately 70 films from around the world, including feature films, documentaries, and short films. Egypt's participation in the current edition is highlighted by the screening of five films in the festival's competitions, in addition to the opening film "Happy Birthday," and the hosting of a special screening of "The Gentlemen," attended by its stars, before its theatrical release on Wednesday, October 22.

El Gouna Film Festival 2025 Jury

El Gouna Film Festival has announced the official jury for its eighth edition. Star Laila Elwi will chair the feature film competition jury, which includes Giona Nazzaro, Rashid Masharawi, Kani Kochruti, and Nahuel Pérez Biscayart.

While French director Nicolas Philibert will head the feature documentary committee, co-directors Asmaa El-Dar, Sona Karaboghossian, Mohamed Said Ouma, and Hala Galal will also participate.

In the short films competition, the jury is headed by director Mahdi Fleifel and includes Andrea Gatopoulos, Juliette Kano, Suad Bushnak, and Mustafa Al-Kashef.

The Green Star jury consists of Jana Wahba, Mai El-Gheity, and Niklas Engström, while the FIPRESCI jury includes Omnia Adel, Pamela Cohen, and Ramachandran Bisharat. The Netpac Award jury was chaired by director Anne Demy-Giraud, with Jean-Marc Therouin and Hala Khalil also participating.