egyptian documentary 50 meters selected for official competition at 8th el gouna film festival

Egyptian director Yomna Khattab’s introspective debut family documentary 50 METERS, which previously world premiered at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival (CPH:DOX),

is now set to screen for audiences in Egypt and beyond at the eighth El Gouna Film Festival, running from October 16th to 24th, where it will hold its Arab World premiere as part of the festival’s official competition.

With MAD World handling global sales and MAD Distribution overseeing distribution and sales across the Arab World, the film’s screening dates at the festival are expected to be announced soon.

Reacting to the exciting news, director Yomna Khattab expressed her heartfelt gratitude and pride in having her film hold its Arab World premiere as part of El Gouna Film Festival’s official competition — especially following its successful world premiere at CPH:DOX last March. “It’s always exciting to share my story in my home country, among the people who matter most,” she said.

“I am also curious to see how the Egyptian audience will receive the film and interact with its questions and themes. El Gouna has always been my lucky charm, since we pitched the film project there for funding in 2021. It feels like a full circle moment to be back there again with the film for its MENA premiere. I am optimistic about what’s coming next and very thankful to the GFF programing team for this selection,” she added.

Set by a 50-meter training pool, Yomna, a first-time director, is struggling to make her film happen. She decides to turn her camera on her distant father and uses her developing film elements to approach him. Through writing fictional scenes, to drafting voice-overs, Yomna succeeds in breaching her father’s shell and sharing with him her existential questions. By finally showing her vulnerability, Yomna is able to reconcile with her father and self before moving forward with her life choices.

An Egyptian-Danish-Saudi co-production, 50 METERS brings together several notable talents under Khattab’s helm, including award-winning composer Jonas Colstrup (THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE), editors Gladys Joujou (BYE BYE TIBERIAS) and Khaled Moeit (SOUAD), along with producers Ahmed Amer of A.A. Films and Patricia Drati of Good Company Pictures. Additionally, the film's international sales are handled by MAD World while MAD Distribution is in charge of its MENA-wide distribution.

In terms of funding and support, 50 METERS won the IDFA Spotlight Award at the Durban Film Mart in 2022, participated at the IDFA Project Space in 2023, and won several development and production grants, such as the Red Sea Production Fund, Danish Film Institute Fund, Whickers Development Fund, and nine prizes at the fifth El Gouna Film Festival pitching forum.

Yomna Khattab is a filmmaker based in Cairo. She originally acquired an MA in economics from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne. Yomna’s short stories book, VIDEOTAPE FROM THE NINETIES, was published in 2015 by Dar El Shorouk. As a scriptwriter, her feature film ROKAYA' won Best Script From a Young Scriptwriter at the 2018 edition of the Sawiris Cultural Award.

She also wrote and produced the short film LET US PLAY YESTERDAY, which won the Film Prize Robert Bosch 2021 Development Fund and premiered at the International Short Film Competition of the sixth El Gouna Film Festival. Yomna’s main interest in her work is to explore the politics and economics affecting women’s choices, in addition to modern family dynamics in contemporary times.