2017First edition
Announced in May, opened in September.
Naguib Sawiris announced the festival on 10 May 2017. Sheikh Jackson opened it on 22 September; the first Golden Star went to Scary Mother, the first Arab Golden Stars to two Egyptian films.
2017’172018’182019’192020’202021’212022’222023’232024’242025’252026’26
2018Second edition
From the Cannes competition to two awards here.
Yomeddine had been a CineGouna project the year before; it won Best Arab Narrative Film and the audience award.
2019Third edition
A plaza built in sixteen weeks.
About 3,000 workers raised colonnades 20 metres high on 147 columns, finished in November. That September, You Will Die at Twenty won the Golden Star.
2020Fourth edition
A month later, on the new plaza.
The pandemic moved the fourth edition to 23 to 31 October, the first held on the plaza. Quo Vadis, Aida? won the Golden Star, then an Oscar nomination.
2021Fifth edition
A fire broke out the day before the opening. The festival opened on time.
On 13 October 2021, in part of the plaza hall set up for the opening events. The fifth edition ran from 14 to 22 October and brought a new prize, the Green Star.
2022
No edition.
In June 2022 the festival postponed its sixth edition, citing global challenges: a pause, in its own words, not an end.
2023Sixth edition
An edition moved to December, for Gaza.
On 19 October the festival postponed the sixth edition and pledged 5 million Egyptian pounds to relief. It ran from 14 to 21 December, with a new strand, Window on Palestine.
2024Seventh edition
An Egyptian first at Cannes, then a Star here.
The Brink of Dreams won the Golden Eye at Cannes, the first Egyptian film to win it, then Best Arab Documentary here. Flow and The Substance went on to win Oscars.
2025Eighth edition
Ahmed Malek, best actor.
The Settlement took the Bronze Star and Life After Siham two Stars for documentary. The festival honoured its first director, Intishal Al-Tamimi.
2026Ninth edition
This week: the ninth edition.
Listed for 15 to 23 October, with a tribute to Mohamed Khan. CineGouna adds a lab for Arabic TV drama writers and one for early Egyptian projects.