Photopia’s Summer Photo Festival Shook Up Red Sea’s El Gouna Last July!

El Gouna Photo Week was an extension to the success of the two previous editions of Cairo Photo Week with a program of more than 30 talks, live demos, photo walks, free shooting locations, exhibitions and workshops were held at the festival. Photopia has partnered with Orascom Hotels Management to bring their photography festival to the Red Sea! El Gouna Photo Week’s first edition is set to take place between July 16th and July 23rd, 2022 with an expected turn-up of 10,000 people. Photographers, retouchers, designers, models, art directors, filmmakers, videographers, fashion directors, food stylists, researchers, and even make-up artists attend Photopia’s Photo Week every year, and carried much of that same spirit to El Gouna. Boasting over 80 hours of educational workshops on photography, more than 25 talks and panels, five workshops and masterclasses, three exhibitions, 20 shooting locations, and over 30 exhibitors, it’s already one of the largest photo-centric events in Egypt to date. The sheer amount of resources offered at El Gouna Photo Week is staggering, but what is more so, is that Festival also offered activities including contests, challenges, networking events, and industry meet-ups. On top of that, attendees were given free and exclusive access to all shooting locations in El Gouna. Some of the most notable speakers for the event include Shank, Salma El Kashef, Ali Ali, Karim El Hayawan, Coucla Refaat, and Batool Al Adawi. The event will take place all across El Gouna; by the beach, across a variety of hotels, and at the TUB main stage, while the closing ceremony will end the occasion at Casa Cook Hotel.

The Photo Week was held in TU Berlin Campus El Gouna, the talks at the audimax hall, photo walks were at the beach and downtown, workshops’ students got to experiment and shoot the finest hotels of El Gouna. The diversity of the educational approach led to an exceptional experience for both the attendees and the speakers.

From one of the most enjoying events we went to. without any sugarcoating this is one of the best events we went to. The event was not only helpful to the attendees but also to the speakers. We are so proud of Photopia and we got back inspired and ready to create more.

-Salma El Kashef …. Filmmaker & Cinematographer

El Gouna Photo Week brought together different backgrounds in one destination where everyone felt connected to one another and we got to showcase the beauty of Upper Egypt and bringing influential stories to light through photography as art and craft.

The event was so refreshing, we all talked the same language and had the same passion for what we do. I am inspired, cleansed and happy that I had a positive impact and felt the impact of others. Seeing this from day one, I can say it’s going to become bigger and bigger.

-Coucla Refaat… Travel, Commercial and Documentary photographer

Shooting locations:

El Gouna is known for its beautiful views and minimal architecture, making it an inspiring location for photographers and image-makers.

As part of El Gouna Photo Week, we’re happy that El Gouna Hotels are provided photographers with beautiful indoor and outdoor locations during the whole week for photographers to shoot at, including some of the top hotels and venues.

Our partner GLC also powered a studio on the beach where you can change the color of a wooden backdrop and have different setups outdoors!

Locations included:

Downtown

Casa Cook Hotel

La Maison Bleu

Ancient Sands Resort

Dawar El Omda Hotel

Sheraton Miramar Resort

Ali Pasha Hotel

The beaches inside the hotels

Wall Art at Mosaique Hotel

Horse Stable

Golf & Greeneries

The Marina

Our generous speakers & instructors

· Abdallah Sabry (Portrait photographer & Sony Ambassador)

· Ahmad Al Morsy (Cinematographer)

· Ali Ali (Film Director)

· Ämr Ezz Eldinn (Fashion Photographer & Filmmaker)

· Amina Zaher (fashion photographer)

· Amy Mowafi (Founder of Mo4 Network)

· Batool Aldaawi (Advertising & commercial photographer)

· Coucla Refaat (Travel, Commercial and Documentary photographer).

· Farida El Bustani (fine art photographer)

· Karim El Hayawan (Visual artist)

· Mohamed Khattab (Street fashion photographer)

· Maged Nassar (Film Director)

· Mohamed Baitie (Architect and Color expert)

· Mohamed El Zayat (Film Director)

· Mohamed Fathi “Shank” (Film Director)

· Moe Ismail (Digital Creator)

· Nelly El Sharkawy (Conceptual photographer)

· Nirvana Bebers

· Omar Zain (Sports Photographer)

· Sarah Ibrahim (Food Stylist)

· Salma El Kashef (Filmmaker/ Cinematographer)

· Sima Diab

· Tarek Hefny (Filmmaker)

· Tamer Ashry (Film Director and CEO of BEE Media Productions)

· Timmy Mowafi (Founder NFTY Arabia | Co-Founder & Managing Partner MO4 Network)

· Yehia Bedeir (Creative Director)

· Yehia El Alaily (Food photographer)

“Thank you for your great effort. Honestly I would’ve missed out if I didn’t come.I was happy and got to know new people and I am happy to see the crowd happy. I am waiting for the next edition”

-Mohamed Fathi (Shank)…. Film Director

EGPW in numbers:

5 days

One big stage

2,000 visitors

30+ speakers

22 talks & panels

4 live demos & workshops

100+ attendees

27 shooting locations around El Gouna

Beach activities: one demo + free shoots on Marina beach for publ

“I’m so happy that I’ve met your expectations. The festival was inspiring to me, Shank, Ali and everyone. The talks were surprising and inspiring to the attendees”

-Maged Nassar… Film Director

EXHIBITIONS:

Sard | Upper Egypt Edition

Curated by: Photopia & Documentaries

The exhibition gives voice to many unseen stories from Upper Egypt and celebrates its hardworking dedicated photographers.

The exhibition also celebrates photographers from Cairo who narrate their own perspective of the Egyptian South.

Exhibitors:

Adel Eissa

Ahmed Mostafa Saudi

Mirna Magdy Shoukry

Mohamed Abdel Sabour

Mohamed Shokry

Noha Zayed

Sahl Abdelrahman

Sally Gindy

Yehia Ahmed

Sard | Humans of Upper Egypt

By Mahmoud Hawary

- HUMANS OF UPPER EGYPT IS A HERITAGE DOCUMENTATION SOCIETY WITH A PASSIONATE DESIRE TO CAPTURE THE TENDER ESSENCE AND RAW BEAUTY OF EGYPT’S SOUTHERN REGIONS AND VILLAGE COMMUNITIES. WITH A SENSITIVE EYE, THE PHOTOGRAPHERS NAVIGATE THROUGH RURAL ENVIRONMENTS CONNECTING INTIMATELY WITH THE PEOPLE THEY ENCOUNTER, AS FELLOW EGYPTIANS AND COMPASSIONATE HUMANS.

Our vision for Humans of Upper Egypt is to popularize values, culture, habits, and traditions of Upper Egyptian society with photography, cinematography, and other creative expressions. We want to deepen the connections between different denominations in society through visual storytelling, with the belief that we can raise up the values of society.

The exhibition gives voice to many unseen stories from Upper Egypt and celebrates its hardworking dedicated photographer Mahmoud Hawary

Between Here and Elsewhere

By Karim El Hayawan

After its massive success during its first show in Cairo with SOMA ART, we are proud to have his exhibition on tour to the Red Sea's El Gouna.

Believing that one must look for one thing, to find many and that a fragment is not merely a part of a larger whole, but is an entity of its own.. In “Between Here & Elsewhere”, Karim El Hayawan questions the concept of donated domestic rugs positioned randomly and perhaps even accidentally within some of Cairo’s most iconic Mosques.

Victory of Some Sort

The Curatorial Team:

Heba El Moaz, Engy Zahran, Rahma Walid.

The greatest victory is not winning against others but winning against self. Plato once said that the first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself. It is the ultimate doorway through your soul; the producer of all great things.

An achievement of mastery and self fulfillment through fidelity to a standard or an idea. A choice to walk independently in a path of perseverance, sincerity and effort.

One second can be your greatest moment..

11 artists are sharing their once-in-a-lifetime collision of opportunity and skill that made their 'epic shot'.

Each is bringing us a victory of some sort..

Exhibitors:

Ahmed Khalid

Ali Ali

Ghada Amin

Leon dubois

Lubna Abdel Aziz

Marwa Abbass

Nadia Mounir

Souhaib Ayman

Toqa Ahmed

Youssra Fawzy

Ziad Hassan

Approaching Permitted

By Ali Zaraay

Interactive Workshop

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