The fire that engulfed a section of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival’s Festival Plaza on Wednesday turned out to be a minor deterrent as the event’s fifth anniversary got off to a r…
on Wednesday turned out to be a minor deterrent as the event’s fifth anniversary got off to a rousing start on Thursday.
The fire, the cause of which has not yet been confirmed but is possibly a short circuit, was contained swiftly, with Samih Sawiris, chair of festival parent company Orascom Development Holding, personally supervizing repairs. By the end of the process, it was like a fire had never happened.spoke to a selection of attendees including jury members, film festival programmers, journalists and local staff about the fire and none of them expressed any safety concerns.
Sawiris was very much in evidence during the festival’s opening ceremony, held as scheduled at the Festival Plaza, appearing on stage twice. The 90-minute event featuring several speeches in Arabic and musical performances went down a storm. The biggest applause was reserved for Egyptian actor Ahmed el-Sakka, who received the El Gouna career achievement award on stage and delivered a heartfelt speech. His recent credits include “Aserb: The Squadron,” “The Spider,” “200 Pounds” and “Outsider Bloodline.”
The after party that followed, also at the Festival Plaza, was a cheering affair harking back to the glorious pre-COVID days of 2019. Egypt’s bright and the beautiful rubbed shoulders with industry elders and a selection of international guests, proving that, at least until the next coronavirus wave, the film festival scene is on the upswing.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sundowner winds stymie fire crews as Alisal fire explodes beyond 13,000 acresFueled by 40-mph sundowner gusts, the Alisal fire escaped containment Tuesday. Strengthening winds promised even more firefighting challenges.
Read more »
NASA Lights Astronauts On Fire In Order To Simulate Life Of VenusHOUSTON—Noting that the training mission would provide crucial insight into humanity’s potential for interplanetary travel, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced Thursday that they had lit three astronauts on fire in an experiment to simulate life on Venus. “Setting these astronauts aflame…
Read more »
Heavy smoke from Alisal fire triggers air quality advisory in L.A., Orange countiesThe blaze sent toxic smoke billowing southeast of Santa Barbara, triggering air quality advisories in Los Angeles and other counties.
Read more »
Planes, fire crews tackling wildfire near Reagan ranch in CaliforniaCalifornia firefighters took advantage of a break in strong winds on Wednesday to get aircraft aloft and dump retardant on a fast-moving wildfire that was within a half mile of former President Ronald Reagan's ranch, officials said.
Read more »
A House Fire Led Isabela Merced to a Life on Stage and ScreenNow she's starring opposite Jason Momoa and Adria Arjona in Netflix’s Sweet Girl.
Read more »
Strong winds across California mean a risk of fire and power shutoffsStrong winds are expected to hit swaths of California on Thursday night, prompting warnings of fire and potential power shutoffs.
Read more »