Egyptian film critic Andrew Mohsen has been appointed the new artistic director of the El Gouna Film Festival.
He joined GFF as a senior programmer in 2023, was promoted to head of programming in 2024, and now holds the top creative role, with 6 months to shape the festival's 9th edition (October 15–23, El Gouna).
Mohsen started as a film critic in 2015 and has since led programming at Ismailia, Aswan, and Cairo's international festivals. He also curates the European Film Festival in Riyadh and consults for the Hollywood Arab Film Festival.
He steps into a position left open after Marianne Khoury's departure earlier this year. GFF — founded in 2017 and one of the region's flagship festivals — turns 10 next year. Mohsen says his goal is to keep it "the preeminent bridge between Arab and international cinema."
Last year's edition screened 82 films and nearly doubled ticket sales, from 20,000 to 33,000.
