Cairo – September 16, 2025: Sawiris Foundation for Social Development announced its participation in the 8th edition of El Gouna Film Festival 2025 as the festival’s official “Impact Partner”. This partnership underscores the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to supporting the arts as a driver of social change and to advancing sustainable development through innovative initiatives that spotlight young talent and empower vulnerable communities.
As “Impact Partner,” the Foundation is extending its collaboration with Tawasol to uplift and empower Egyptian artisans through the production of the festival’s official giveaway bag. In addition, the Foundation is organizing the annual handicrafts exhibition at the main festival plaza—an exclusive platform that highlights traditional Egyptian handicrafts to both local and international audiences. Through this initiative, artists from across the country gain greater visibility and recognition, while Egypt’s cultural heritage is celebrated on a global stage.
Driven by its belief in investing in youth across diverse fields and in the power of art to reflect reality and shed light on pressing social issues, the Sawiris Foundation has expanded its support for the CineGouna Emerge program this year by sponsoring the participation of 120 young filmmakers, to empower a new generation of creatives to experience the festival holistically—through opportunities for networking, learning, and exposure to the latest trends in the film industry locally and internationally.
In addition, for the first time, El Gouna Film Festival’s “Cinema for Humanity Award,” which is dedicated to recognizing feature-length films that exemplify humanitarian themes across the festival’s categories and includes a cash prize of USD 20,000, will be sponsored by the Sawiris Foundation. The Foundation has also introduced a special grant through the CineGouna Funding program to support the development of a film in post-production, amplifying the voices of young talents whose work tells inspiring human stories, aligned with the Foundation’s mission to promote cultural and social development and expand its reach.
Furthermore, under the theme “Cinema for Humanity,” on October 18, the Sawiris Foundation will host a special event in partnership with El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The event is titled “Weaves of Hope” and will feature global star Cate Blanchett and announce dedicated financial support for refugees in Egypt, reflecting the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to empowering the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.
This year’s edition of the festival coincides with the centenary of legendary Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine. To honor his legacy, the Foundation is organizing a special exhibition named after his iconic film “Bab Al Hadeed (Cairo Station)” highlighting his groundbreaking works that addressed major social issues and helped elevate Egyptian cinema to global prominence.
Another key highlight this year is the launch of the “Sawiris Screenplay Lab,” introduced in partnership with the Sard initiative by Mariam Naoum and El Gouna Film Festival. Building on the legacy of the Sawiris Cultural Award, the Lab offers writers who were shortlisted or who had won in the Sawiris Cultural Award Best Screenplay Category intensive workshops to develop their scripts and engage directly with producers during the festival. This initiative creates new pathways for transforming literary works into cinematic productions.
Reflecting on the partnership, Laila Hosni, Executive Director of the Sawiris Foundation, said: “Our participation in El Gouna Film Festival as Impact Partner goes far beyond sponsoring a cultural event. It reflects our vision that art and culture are essential pillars of sustainable development. We see the festival as a genuine bridge between local creativity and global opportunities. Supporting an event of this scale and international reach affirms our conviction that real development is built on partnerships—whether with government, the private sector, or civil society, both local and international. This is the essence of our role as Impact Partner: transforming creativity into a force that makes a tangible difference in people’s lives and inspires others to follow the same path.”
Amr Manis, Co-Founder and Executive Director of El Gouna Film Festival, stated: “Over the past eight years, El Gouna Film Festival has shown that cinema is not only a medium for storytelling, but a powerful force for change and inspiration. Our partnership with Sawiris Foundation for Social Development reflects a shared belief in the vital role of cinema and arts in driving social progress. Together, we are empowering the next generation of filmmakers, giving them the platform to share their stories, shape perspectives, and carry their voices to the world.”
It is worth mentioning that, since its inception in 2017, El Gouna Film Festival has embraced “Cinema for Humanity” as its guiding principle, leveraging partnerships with leading organizations to reinforce the role of art as a force for positive change, whether by supporting refugees, empowering women, or promoting sustainability on local and global levels.
About Sawiris Foundation:
Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD) is one of the first donor foundations in Egypt. Established in 2001 by the Sawiris family, SFSD philanthropically promotes and supports innovative solutions that target comprehensive and sustainable development in Egypt.
Over the last 25 years, SFSD has addressed the most pressing issues facing marginalized Egyptians, such as poverty, unemployment, social exclusion, and limited access to quality education, by funding the delivery of programs aimed at achieving comprehensive and sustainable development, in partnership with the governmental and private sectors as well as civil society. By creating thousands of job opportunities and providing quality education and access to basic services, we have impacted the lives of approximately 1 million Egyptians. Our funded programs cover 24 Egyptian governorates, focusing on the most remote villages.
With increasing global and national challenges, Sawiris Foundation developed its strategic directions while finding the most cost-effective and impactful ways to support Egypt’s marginalized families and those trying to further positive social change in Egypt. By following the philosophy of effective altruism and evidence-based practices, we have launched our 2023-2028 strategy to maximize our impact in reducing multidimensional poverty and empowering agents of change in Egypt.
About El Gouna Film Festival:
El Gouna Film Festival is one of the leading festivals in the Middle East, aimed at showcasing a diverse array of films to an audience passionate about cinema. It seeks to promote better cultural connections through the art of film, connecting filmmakers from the region with their international counterparts to enhance collaboration and cultural exchange. Additionally, the festival is dedicated to discovering new cinematic voices and is enthusiastic about being a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world, particularly through its industry arm: the CineGouna Platform.
