EGYPT · FILM
Key Facts
- —What is happening The ninth El Gouna Film Festival closed on Friday 23 October 2026, and its jury gave the US$50,000 Golden Star for best feature film to the Egyptian drama Safe Exit, directed by Mohamed Hammad.
- —Why it matters Safe Exit, about a young security guard in a generation scarred by religious violence, premiered at the Berlin film festival in February, so the win adds momentum on the international circuit.
- —The numbers Prizes ranged from US$50,000 for the best feature to US$4,000 for a bronze short film, with the documentary Golden Star worth US$30,000 and the short film Golden Star worth US$15,000.
- —Who is who Joanna Hogg, a British film director, led the feature jury, Amr Mansi is the festival’s executive director and co-founder, and Faouzi Bensaidi, a Moroccan director, received the Creative Achievement Award.
- —What to watch Citizen Osama, the documentary winner, is Palestine’s entry for the 2027 Academy Awards, so the Oscar race is the next test for the film.
- —What it means for you US readers can see where Arab and international festival cinema is heading: a Gaza documentary won the top documentary prize, and American Doctor, a film partly made in the United States, won the audience award.
Egypt’s Safe Exit won the US$50,000 Golden Star as the ninth El Gouna Film Festival closed on Friday 23 October 2026. Citizen Osama won the documentary prize.
Egypt’s Safe Exit won the Golden Star, the top feature prize, at El Gouna Film Festival on Friday 23 October 2026. The prize is worth US$50,000 and went to director Mohamed Hammad.
The Gouna Festival, held in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, closed its ninth edition that evening. Egyptian news site Youm7 published the full list of winners from the closing ceremony.
The Feature Film Winners
The feature jury was led by British director Joanna Hogg. Its members were Egyptian actress Nahed El-Sebai, Egyptian composer Khaled Hammad, Iraqi director Shawkat Amin Korki and Turkish director Yesim Ustaoglu.
- Golden Star, US$50,000: Safe Exit, directed by Mohamed Hammad (Egypt).
- Silver Star, US$25,000: All the Lovers in the Night, directed by Yukiko Sode.
- Bronze Star, US$15,000: A Little Light, directed by Ali Asgari.
- Best Arabic Feature, US$20,000: Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep, directed by Rakan Mayasi.
- Special mention: Halima, a Moroccan film directed by Yassine Idrissi.
- Best Actor: Jovan Ginic, in After Three Weeks, directed by Miroslav Terzic.
- Best Actress: Rakeen Saad, in Bomah, directed by Zaid Abu Hamdan.
Safe Exit follows Samaan, a young security guard from a generation whose parents died in religious violence in the Arab region. Hammad also wrote and produced it, and it premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026.
Documentary and Short Film Prizes
The documentary jury, led by Swiss-Iraqi director Samir, gave its Golden Star to Citizen Osama by Ahmed Hassouna. The prize is worth US$30,000, and Palestinian producer Rashid Masharawi used the ceremony to honour people killed in Gaza, including journalists.
Citizen Osama follows Osama Al-Ashi, a journalist in northern Gaza, through the first year of his son’s life during hunger and displacement. It premiered at the Venice festival in early September 2026, and The National gave it four stars out of five.
- Documentary Silver Star, US$15,000: Whispers in May, directed by Dongnan Chen.
- Documentary Bronze Star, US$7,500: War on Women, directed by Rasha Shirazi.
- Short Film Golden Star, US$15,000: Stolen Memories, directed by Andres Davidson.
- Short Film Silver Star, US$7,500: Nobody Knows the World, directed by Rudy Dextre.
- Short Film Bronze Star, US$4,000: The Malignant, directed by Jad Shaheen.
- Best Arabic Short Film, US$5,000: One Day Born, directed by Marie-Rose Osta.
- Special mention in the short films: Kentucky Gaza, directed by Omar Rammal.
Audience, Green and Achievement Awards
The Cinema for Humanity audience award, worth US$20,000, went to American Doctor, directed by Bo Si Teng. Youm7 lists its producing countries as the United States, Palestine, Malaysia, Qatar and Denmark.
The Green Star, worth US$10,000, went to Nuisance Bear, directed by Gabriela Osio Vanden. Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaidi received the Creative Achievement Award from Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah.
Bensaidi then recited part of a poem by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. Youm7 did not state a prize amount for that award.
How the Closing Night Went
The ceremony opened with the Egyptian national anthem and the festival song Sidi Ya Sidi. Yasmina El Abd and Mohamed El Sharnouby sang it, and host Nardine Farah introduced it.
A tribute segment honoured singer Hany Shaker, actress Kitty and actor Abdel Rahman Abou Zahra, among others who died. Singer Mona Aziz sang songs by the late composer Hany Shenouda’s band, Al-Masryeen.
Amr Mansi, festival co-founder, told Youm7 in an interview published Saturday 24 October that high costs make funding the main challenge. He said the festival grows each year, which draws more sponsors and local support.
What It Means for US Readers
The winners show where Arab and international festival cinema is heading, and some titles could reach US audiences through festivals and streaming. No US release deal for Safe Exit or Citizen Osama was announced in the reports read.
Citizen Osama is Palestine’s entry for the 2027 Academy Awards, so its festival wins matter to the Oscar race. American Doctor, partly a US production, took the audience prize.
El Gouna is a resort town on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, and festival week is busy. US travellers should check the State Department’s current advice for Egypt before booking.
What Is Not Known
The festival’s own website could not be opened for this check, and no festival press release was found. This report rests on Youm7’s ceremony coverage and See News, a second Egyptian outlet.
Prize amounts for the acting awards, the special mentions and the Creative Achievement Award were not stated. Youm7 prints the short film Golden Star prize as 15 dollars, an apparent typo.
See News gives US$15,000 for that award, which this article uses. English titles of some films are translated from Arabic listings.
Spellings of directors’ names vary between reports. Attendance, the festival’s total cost and the industry funding awards were not covered in the reports read.
No jury statements explaining the choices were found. A release date for Safe Exit in the United States is not stated.
What Comes Next
Dates for a tenth edition were not announced in the reports read. Results of the festival’s industry funding programme were not checked for this report.
Citizen Osama’s Oscar campaign depends on the Academy’s 2027 timetable, which this report did not check. A festival win does not guarantee a nomination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the top prize at El Gouna Film Festival?
Safe Exit, directed by Mohamed Hammad, won the Golden Star for best feature and US$50,000. The Egyptian film premiered at the Berlin film festival in February 2026.
When did the ninth El Gouna Film Festival end?
It closed on Friday 23 October 2026 with an awards ceremony. The festival opened on Thursday 15 October.
Which documentary won the Golden Star?
Citizen Osama, directed by Ahmed Hassouna, won US$30,000. It follows a journalist in northern Gaza through the first year of his son’s life.
Where is El Gouna?
El Gouna is a resort town on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. It hosts the El Gouna Film Festival.
Which Moroccan filmmakers were honoured?
Director Faouzi Bensaidi received the Creative Achievement Award. Halima, directed by Yassine Idrissi, received a special mention in the feature competition.
Sources: Youm7, Safe Exit wins best feature, 23 October 2026; Youm7, Citizen Osama wins documentary Golden Star, 23 October 2026; Youm7, Bensaidi receives achievement award, 23 October 2026; Youm7, A Little Light wins bronze, 23 October 2026; Youm7, Amr Mansi interview, 24 October 2026; See News, closing ceremony highlights and winners; Ahram Online, festival opening date; MAD Solutions, Safe Exit at the Berlinale; The National, Citizen Osama review (all accessed 24 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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