In this episode, we sit down with Sedky Sakhr, the Egyptian actor and musician known for series such as B 100 Wesh & Rivo. Sedky talks about leaving a career in engineering to act full time, how he chooses and prepares for his roles, and how theatre and music feed into his work on screen. He also shares advice for emerging actors finding their way into the industry.

Recorded during the 8th edition of El Gouna Film Festival as part of the CineGouna Emerge: Meet the Experts series.

Credits

Cover art: Nabeela Roshdy

Project manager: Omnia Najm

Produced by TPP

Supported by the Sawiris Foundation, GFF's Impact Partner, and DROSOS Foundation

In this episode, we sit down with Sameh Alaa, the Egyptian director whose short film I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. Sameh talks about how he develops a story, and what the Cannes win did and didn't change. He also shares advice for emerging filmmakers working on their first shorts.Sameh Alaa is an Egyptian writer and director based between Cairo and Brussels. He is known for the short films Fifteen (2017) and I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face (2020), the first Egyptian short to win the Palme d'Or. He has served on juries at Cannes and Cairo, and in 2026 directed the series Hekayet Narges.Recorded during the 8th edition of El Gouna Film Festival as part of the CineGouna Emerge: Meet the Experts series.CreditsCover art: Nabeela RoshdyProject manager: Omnia NajmProduced by TPPSupported by the Sawiris Foundation, GFF's Impact Partner, and DROSOS Foundation

In our first episode, we sit down with Andrew Mohsen, Artistic Director of El Gouna Film Festival. Andrew talks about how he approaches programming and what he looks for when selecting films. He also shares advice for emerging filmmakers from Egypt, the Arab region and Africa who are finding their way into the industry.

Andrew Mohsen is an Egyptian film critic and film programmer, and the Artistic Director of El Gouna Film Festival.

Recorded during the 8th edition of El Gouna Film Festival as part of the CineGouna Emerge: Meet the Experts series.

Credits
Cover art: Nabeela Roshdy
Project manager: Omnia Najm
Produced by TPP
Supported by the Sawiris Foundation, GFF's Impact Partner, and DROSOS Foundation