<p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr">The opening ceremony of the 7th edition of El Gouna Film Festival witnessed a touching moment when artist Mahmoud Hemeida was awarded the “Creative Achievement Award”, in honor of his rich artistic career and great contributions to Arab cinema.</p><h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);">Mahmoud Hemeida honored at the 7th El Gouna Film Festival</span> </h2><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBhJjt3u_NO/?igsh=OGFkMzZiNnRrOXRh"></oembed></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Director Enas El Degheidy introduced the star before he went on stage, and presented him with the honorary shield, in a gesture of appreciation for his career that spanned decades. This moment came amidst a large audience of cinema and art lovers.</p><h3 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);">Hamida's feelings and his artistic dreams</span> </h3><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBhLS0dIz19/?igsh=cDFhaXl6MG4zdzhk"></oembed></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Mahmoud Hemeida expressed his deep joy at this honor, noting that his happiness with this recognition of his artistic achievements was doubled by the presence of his audience and cinema lovers. He also recalled his memories with Enas El Degheidy, praising the artistic works that brought them together, and stressing that the difference in viewpoints between them was never an obstacle to their common goal of serving art. Hemeida expressed his pride in his fellow artists such as Lebleba, Yousra, Elham Shaheen, and Hussein Fahmy, expressing his appreciation for them and their artistic careers.<br><br> The Egyptian star also revealed his dream of establishing an art festival city in Marsa Alam, which would be a space to embrace arts and culture, although this dream has not yet come true. However, he pointed out that this honor at the El Gouna Festival is an important milestone in his career, and reflects the appreciation of the artistic community for his contributions.</p><h3 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);">Distinctive artistic presence at the opening of the festival</span> </h3><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBhHGeVIphN/?igsh=bWoxNmxzOG81aXZp"></oembed></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> The opening ceremony was attended by a large number of film stars and makers from around the world, which added a special sparkle to the festival atmosphere. Among the attendees were Eng. Naguib Sawiris, founder of the festival and Chairman of Orascom Investment Holding, Eng. Samih Sawiris, founder of El Gouna and Chairman of the Festival, in addition to the artist Yousra, member of the International Advisory Board of the festival. Also in attendance were Eng. Omar El Hamamsy, CEO of Orascom Development Holding, Mr. Amr Mansi, CEO and co-founder of the festival, and the distinguished director Marianne Khoury, the festival’s artistic director.<br><br> El Gouna Film Festival is considered one of the most prominent film festivals in the Middle East, as it aims to provide a diverse cinematic experience to an enthusiastic and art-loving audience, making it a major stop in the world of film festivals in the region.<br></p>