El Gouna Film Festival: Sawsan Badr pulls out of jury due to 'critical surgery'

The actress was due to play a key role in the festival, which takes place this month

Sawsan Badr will not longer be on the jury at this year's El Gouna Film Festival. Sawsan Badr / Instagram

Sawsan Badr has been forced to pull out of participating in this year's El Gouna Film Festival on medical grounds.

The 61-year-old Egyptian actress was set to be a member of the cinematic event's jury in the feature film competition, but will be absent due to needing "critical surgery", she revealed this week.

"Due to very critical surgery on the knee joint and based on doctors' reports advising me to rest, I am sorry to announce that I am not participating as a member of El Gouna Film Festival's judging panel for this year's edition," the Welad Rizk 2 star posted on Instagram.

"I would like to thank the festival and the organisers and wish them all the best."

Badr had been due to appear on the jury alongside actress Dorra Zarrouk, director Marwan Hamed and costume designer Nahed Nasrallah.

The third iteration of the El Gouna Film Festival will take place between Thursday, September 19 to Friday, September 27 in Egypt's Red Sea resort town.

The programme for the 2019 event features a range of regional and international works, with screenings set to showcase films including Parasite, the winner of the Palme d'Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival​.

Pedro Almodovar's latest film, Pain and Glory, Karim Ainouz's The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmao, Sorry We Missed You by Ken Loach and Hassan Fazili's Midnight Traveler are also among El Gouna's line-up.

Egyptian-Canadian actor Mena Massoud, who starred in Guy Ritchie's live-action remake of Aladdin, is slated to attend, while Egyptian star Mohamed Henedy and Palestinian filmmaker Mai Masri will receive GFF Career Achievement Awards.