Surely anyone who puts their heart and soul behind a passion project, only to see it flourish over the years, has had an interesting journey on the road to success. Five years since its inception, Gouna Film Festival has taken on a life of its own, and Co-Founder and GM Kamal Zadeh tells us a bit about GFF from his perspective.
Does the film industry have a special place in your heart?
Yes, of course. The film industry holds a very big place in my heart because I was born into a family that loves cinema, especially black and white movies, as my grandma was Egypt’s number one superstar, Shadia. Other than the fact that I inherited a love of cinema from her, what she has done gave cinema in the region a new taste that is unexplainable yet impeccable! Kamal Zadeh
Why is it so important to support cultural events of all types in Egypt, across diverse platforms?
It is very important because Egypt has always been the land that adopted diverse cultures from around the world, and these days, all generations are very interested to learn about different cultures more than before; I think that’s what different social media platforms have done. It made it easy for people to see and learn, which made it easier for others to deliver. Kamal Zadeh
What should we look forward to the most this year?
Why don’t we keep it as a surprise and see instead of giving away spoilers! Kamal Zadeh
Looking back over the past 4 annual editions of GFF, what memories still stand out as being particularly special to you?
That the whole thing started as a pasta restaurant. How Bushra and I got from opening a pasta place to a film festival is still so crazy to me. Also, no matter how experienced you think you are, you are still learning something new every year, if not every day!
