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Egypt’s presence at Cannes Film Market wins top honour for design, programming, and industry engagement.
The Egyptian pavilion at Cannes Film Market, headed by a joint cooperation between El Gouna Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival and the Egyptian Film Commission, has won the award for Best Pavilion Design Award during the 78th Cannes Film Festival.
Designed by cinematic set designer Shereen Farghal, and recognised over competing pavilions from 150 nations, the Egyptian pavilion was awarded for its design, curated programming, and strategic networking opportunities offered to Arab and international filmmakers.
“This award is a global recognition of the position Egyptian cinema occupies today, and of the continuous efforts we make to represent it in international contexts,” Hussein Fahmy, President of Cairo International Film Festival, said. “We made sure that the pavilion reflects the spirit of cooperation and openness to the world through a program full of dialogue, and cultural and artistic interaction, and represents a new step for Egypt’s presence in the global film industry.”
Held annually in parallel with the Cannes Film Festival, Marché du Film is a key space for co-productions, distribution deals, and film financing.
The 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s first and largest event dedicated to shaping the content creator economy, organised by the UAE Government Media Office, will convene over 125 prominent CEOs from major global firms, as it returns for its third edition, organised by the UAE Government Media Office and hosted in the UAE from 11 to 13 January 2025 at Dubai’s Emirates Towers, DIFC and the Museum of the Future, under the theme “Content for Good.”
These CEOs will join a prestigious lineup of content creators and influencers from around the world, sharing their expertise during panels, interactive discussions, workshops and roundtables. These sessions will explore the latest trends in business, economy, investment, and content creation, empowering aspiring talents and fostering innovation within the industry.
The list of speakers at the third edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit include Maye Musk, mother of Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. A 76-year-old millionaire and model, Musk’s career began in 1969 as a Miss South Africa finalist. She became a prominent model, representing numerous major brands, and continues to work today. Despite her busy schedule, she earned two degrees in dietetics and nutritional science and founded her own nutrition company.
Musk, who enjoys an active social media presence with over 3.35 million followers, will share her parenting journey at the 1 Billion Followers Summit, discussing how she raised three children, including Elon, and the parenting style that contributed to his success.
Leading Egyptian businessman and global entrepreneur Naguib Sawiris, who has over 10.6 million social media followers, will share his insights at the Summit. He leads global companies in various sectors, including mining, real estate, financial services, telecom, investment, and media. Naguib Sawiris is the owner of Orascom Telecom, launched the first mobile network in North Korea in 2008 and founded ONTV network. He also owns 88% of EuroNews shares, and is the founder of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival.
Andre Le Masurier, Senior Director and Global Head of brand and Creative at Skyscanner, will share his experience of over 20 years in brand vision, marketing and product design, as he held leadership roles in leading companies and contributed award-winning work that spanned major brands.
Andrew Graham, Head of Digital Corporate Advisory & Partnerships at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), will share his experience in cultivating and monetizing digital-native talent, and his work in developing digital strategies for A-list celebrities.
Ben Relles, who leads Content Strategy at the Office of entrepreneur and LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman, will address the topic of AI and its utilization in social media content creation.
Cayman Rojas, Community Manager at LinkedIn, will discuss how he works with, and supports prominent voices on the platform. He works closely with influencers with an outsized impact on the community, from CEOs and content creators to musicians, actors, and celebrities.
Joining the speakers lineup is Chris Williams, who founded and leads Pocket Watch, a studio specializing in kids and family entertainment through digital-first content and lifestyle products. Williams will share his experience of 20 years in developing online video content.
Emma Harman, President, EMEA at Whalar Group, will share her experience of over 25 years blending entertainment, music, and social marketing, and applying this experience in brand-talent collaborations. Harman will also highlight the importance of impactful content and supporting the Creator growth Economy.
Grigory Lavrov, VP Marketing, Local Brands & Franchise Management in CEE & MENAT at Warner Bros. Discovery, is also speaking at the Summit. In addition to his publishing experience, Lavrov oversees brands like TLC, DMAX, and Fatafeat.
Kate Ward & Zach Honarvar will share their experience as Founders of Creator Now, a platform that aims to build a film school reimagined for creators to help the next generation turn their creative passions into a full-time career.
The list includes Lewis Crosbie, Co-founder and CEO of Komi, which is a software platform and “one-stop-shop” for creators, bringing features found on Shopify, Patreon, and Linktree into one place to help creators engage with their fans around the world.
Paul Bakaus, Executive Vice President of Product and Creator Tools at Spotter, will showcase the platform’s efforts in empowering content creators everywhere to accelerate their workflow and unlock their creative potential.
Also joining the lineup of prominent speakers at the Summit are Brittany Brown, Director of Digital Communications & Strategy at NASA, sharing insights into impactful visual storytelling; Aliana Miller, Director of Influencer Marketing at Roblox, discussing strategies for building authentic creator relationships and achieving record-breaking results; Elise Swopes, Sr. Adobe Express Evangelist & Community, offering her perspective on mobile creativity and the intersection of art and technology; Sherry Wong, CEO at Roster, focusing on building strong support teams for creators; Ahad Khan, CEO at Kajabi, sharing insights into scaling online businesses using creator-focused platforms; and Jonathan Chanti, President of Talent at Viral Nation & CGO of Viral Nation Group, who will share insights into leveraging data-driven strategies and emerging technologies for influencer collaborations and brand growth.
The 7th El-Gouna Film Festival ended with the awards announced during the closing ceremony on 1 November.
El-Gouna Golden Star award went to Ghost Trail, a thriller about a Syrian refugee in France. Check all awards below.
International competition
El-Gouna Golden Star award for best narrative film Ghost Trail (France) by Jonathan Millet
The film follows Hamid, who “joins a secret group tracking Syrian regime leaders on the run. His mission takes him to France, pursuing his former torturer for a fateful confrontation,” reads the synopsis on IMDb.
El-Gouna Silver Star The Kingdom (France) by Julien Colonna
El-Gouna Bronze Star Girls Will be Girls (India) by Shuchi Talati won the Fipresci Award.
Best actor Adam Bessa for his performance in Ghost Trail (France) by Jonathan Millet
Best actress Laura Weissmahr for her performance in Salve Maria (Spain) by Mar Coll
Best Arab narrative feature – shared award – Thank You For Banking With Us! (Palestine) by Laila Abbas – Who Do I Belong To (Tunisia) by Meryam Joobeur
Jury special mention Actor Charles Peccia Galletto for his performance in My Everything by Anne-Sophie Bailly
Documentary competition
El-Gouna Golden Star We Are Inside (Lebanon) by Farah Kassem
El-Gouna Silver Star Soundtrack To A Coup d’Etat (Belgium) by Johan Grimonprez
El-Gouna Bronze Star A New Kind Of Wilderness (Norway) by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Best Arab documentary feature – shared award – The Brink Of Dreams (Egypt) by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir – My Memory Is Full Of Ghosts (Syria) by Anas Zawahri
Other awards
Fipresci award Girls Will be Girls (India) by Shuchi Talati Cinema for Humanity award Disorder (Lebanon) by Lucien Bourjeily, Bane Fakih, Wissam Charaf, and Areej Mahmoud.
The NetPac award We Are Inside (Lebanon) by Farah Kassem
El Gouna Green Star award The Battle For Laikipia (Kenya) by Peter Murimi and Daphne Matziaraki