The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) and Egypt's El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) have announced a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening collaboration between the European, Middle Eastern and African film communities. The two festivals will work together on programming and talent exchange, with the alliance set to begin formally at the upcoming 22nd edition of the ZFF, running from 24 September-4 October.

The first joint initiative will see the feature-length documentary Dolphins: My Close Encounters celebrate its world premiere at Zurich before travelling to the El Gouna Film Festival, where it will have its MENA premiere during the festival's 15-23 October edition. Directed by Barny Revill and produced by Silverback Films, with Keith Scholey serving as executive producer, the film follows Swiss marine biologist and conservationist Angela Ziltener and her more than 15-year-long research into wild dolphins in Egypt's Northern Red Sea. The documentary explores her scientific research and increasingly personal relationship with the animals, asking where the boundaries between observation, intuition and connection lie.

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According to the festivals, the new partnership will create opportunities for both sides to exchange films and talent, while helping connect filmmakers and industry professionals from Europe with their counterparts in Egypt, the Middle East and Africa. For ZFF, the agreement is also intended to broaden its international partnership network and provide access to films and talent from the region, while GFF will benefit from closer links with the European festival and industry circuit.

“This is a true win-win partnership. We can help the El Gouna Film Festival gain access to films and talent while they provide us with invaluable logistical support and guide us on our way to gaining new perspectives while navigating the film landscape of Africa and the Middle East. We are excited to collaborate with this dynamic and fast-growing festival,” said Christian Jungen, CEO of ZFF.

El Gouna Film Festival founder and board chairman Samih Sawiris remarked: “El Gouna Film Festival was founded with a mission to connect regional and international film industries at the intersection of world-class cinema, global dialogue and social impact. Partnering with a festival as prestigious as Zurich marks an exciting extension of this mission, reflecting a shared commitment to fostering meaningful exchange across outstanding cinema and industry leaders.”

GFF artistic director Andrew Mohsen added: “For the better part of a decade, El Gouna Film Festival has worked tirelessly to give filmmakers in this part of the world a platform for them to collaborate and create films that share stories from the region with the rest of the world. This partnership with ZFF will facilitate the creation of synergies with others in the industry from various parts of the world.”

Meanwhile, ZFF festival director Reta Guetg stated: “As a film festival, building bridges is one of our key functions. We want to connect people who share our beliefs and utilise films as powerful ambassadors of cultural exchange. That is exactly what this new friendship and partnership stands for.”

The partnership will also draw on a personal connection between the two institutions. Sawiris, who spends part of the year in Switzerland, is a member of ZFF's patrons' association, the Golden Eye Circle. Meanwhile, the festivals said their cooperation would allow them to work alongside major studios, global streaming platforms and the international film community while maintaining their independence.