Egyptian actress Layla Elwi attends El Gouna Film Festival in the town of El Gouna, north of Hurghada City, Egypt, on Sept. 20, 2018. The 2nd El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) kicked off on Thursday in Egypt's Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, hosting over 400 film celebrities and filmmakers and set to screen dozens of movies from over 30 countries. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

HURGHADA, Egypt, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 2nd edition of El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) kicked off on Thursday in Egypt's Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, hosting over 400 film celebrities and filmmakers and set to screen dozens of movies from over 30 countries.

The festival, which will run until Sept. 28, will screen 80 films, including 11 world premieres and feature a multitude of workshops and panels.

A selection of the 80 films will participate in the festival's three main competitions: short films, documentaries and the feature narrative. A number of movies will be screened outside of the competition.

"This is the second edition of the GFF and I'm really proud to see last year's success ... we have a long way to go before we reach the level of Venice, Canne and Berlin festivals," Egyptian business tycoon and GFF co-founder Samih Sawiris told Xinhua on the red carpet.

The billionaire said this year's edition has more sponsors, more international actors, adding that the edition has notably been upgraded.

Sawiris expected that the Asian cinema will be present at the GFF next year, stressing "the more we will become international, the more we will appeal to Asian cinema."

"I will not be surprised if next year we will have one of the great actors from China. I hope that Chinese producers and filmmakers would submit their movies next year," he added.

The GFF will convene 16 outstanding professionals from various disciplines of film-making to award the feature narratives, documentaries and short films in competition at the second edition.

The awards will be announced during the closing ceremony of the festival on Sept. 28.

Hollywood action legend Sylvester Stallone is expected to be one of the festival's attendees. The Rambo star will receive El-Gouna's Career Achievement Award.

Superstar Owen Wilson will also be attending the festival, where he will hold his masterclass, "A Conversation With Owen Wilson."??