Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar acceptance speech after Zone of Interest won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film has drawn condemnation from more than a thousand Hollywood actors, creatives and executives over the past few days, but there are also some in the entertainment industry who have spoken in support of Glazer and his speech.
For context, here is the entirety of Glazer’s speech:
Thank you so much. I’m going to read, I’m afraid.
Thank you to the Academy for this honor and to our partners A24 Films for access and Polish Film Institute, to the Stead Museum for their trust and guidance, to my producers, actors, collaborators.
All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say look what they did then, but rather look what we do now.
For context, here is the entirety of Glazer’s speech:
Thank you so much. I’m going to read, I’m afraid.
Thank you to the Academy for this honor and to our partners A24 Films for access and Polish Film Institute, to the Stead Museum for their trust and guidance, to my producers, actors, collaborators.
All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say look what they did then, but rather look what we do now.
- 3/20/2024
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Mythri Movie Makers and Screen International hosted a reception for the box office hit franchise Pushpa at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival.
The event was held at Berlin’s Hotel de Rome on Friday 17, 2024.
Industry attendees included Pushpa lead actor Allu Arjun, the Red Sea Festival’s Kaleem Aftab and Jacqueline Lyanga from the Berlinale.
Check out some pictures from the event above.
In association with:...
The event was held at Berlin’s Hotel de Rome on Friday 17, 2024.
Industry attendees included Pushpa lead actor Allu Arjun, the Red Sea Festival’s Kaleem Aftab and Jacqueline Lyanga from the Berlinale.
Check out some pictures from the event above.
In association with:...
- 2/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
Last week, Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, the co-writer of Coen’s upcoming “Drive-Away Dolls” film, led a Master Class in conversation with critic Kaleem Aftab for the audience at the Tromos International Film Festival in Norway.
And according to the Norwegian site Montages, near the end of the conversation, Coen revealed that he and Joel have written a new script together (something that Coen already said a week ago).
Continue reading Ethan & Joel Coen Reportedly Working On A “Pure Horror” Film at The Playlist.
And according to the Norwegian site Montages, near the end of the conversation, Coen revealed that he and Joel have written a new script together (something that Coen already said a week ago).
Continue reading Ethan & Joel Coen Reportedly Working On A “Pure Horror” Film at The Playlist.
- 1/30/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
French director Maïwenn and Johnny Depp hit Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival on Friday for a special screening of period romance Jeanne du Barry followed by a Q&a.
Maïwenn co-wrote, directed and stars as the titular courtesan opposite Depp in the role of King Louis Xv, who falls in love with du Barry and establishes her at the Court of Versailles as his last official mistress.
Red Sea Head of International Programming Kaleem Aftab, who moderated the Q&a, found himself in hot water when he said he had found parts of the film “very funny”.
“You find it funny? It’s a love story. He’s dying. Did you see the film?.” asked Maïwenn, before putting the question out to the audience.
Depp joked to Aftab: “Keep digging. I do have a small shovel downstairs.”
(Watch) Maïwenn & Johnny Depp Get Into Discussion With @RedSeaFilm Festival Audience...
Maïwenn co-wrote, directed and stars as the titular courtesan opposite Depp in the role of King Louis Xv, who falls in love with du Barry and establishes her at the Court of Versailles as his last official mistress.
Red Sea Head of International Programming Kaleem Aftab, who moderated the Q&a, found himself in hot water when he said he had found parts of the film “very funny”.
“You find it funny? It’s a love story. He’s dying. Did you see the film?.” asked Maïwenn, before putting the question out to the audience.
Depp joked to Aftab: “Keep digging. I do have a small shovel downstairs.”
(Watch) Maïwenn & Johnny Depp Get Into Discussion With @RedSeaFilm Festival Audience...
- 12/1/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors from the region.
Screen International has unveiled the five emerging Middle East and North Africa talents in the fields of acting and directing selected for the seventh edition of Arab Stars Of Tomorrow.
This year’s line-up comprises Adwa Bader, the actress and poet from Saudi Arabia; Jordan’s Cynthia Madanat Sharaiha, director; Egyptian writer and director Morad Mostafa; Palestinian actor Muhammad Abed El Rahman; and fellow Jordanian actress Noor Taher.
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors who...
Screen International has unveiled the five emerging Middle East and North Africa talents in the fields of acting and directing selected for the seventh edition of Arab Stars Of Tomorrow.
This year’s line-up comprises Adwa Bader, the actress and poet from Saudi Arabia; Jordan’s Cynthia Madanat Sharaiha, director; Egyptian writer and director Morad Mostafa; Palestinian actor Muhammad Abed El Rahman; and fellow Jordanian actress Noor Taher.
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors who...
- 12/1/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
More than 50 representatives from across the UK industry will also make the trip to Jeddah.
A group of UK producers, distributors and sales agents are on the ground in Jeddah at this week’s Red Sea International Film Festival, looking to increase the number of UK-Saudi film co-productions.
The delegation has been organised by the British Council, which has taken a booth at the Red Sea Souk industry platform (Dec 2-5), with the help of the festival’s organisers. Attending UK industry will take part in panels, meet Saudi and international financiers, join events at the Souk, and present film projects from their slates.
A group of UK producers, distributors and sales agents are on the ground in Jeddah at this week’s Red Sea International Film Festival, looking to increase the number of UK-Saudi film co-productions.
The delegation has been organised by the British Council, which has taken a booth at the Red Sea Souk industry platform (Dec 2-5), with the help of the festival’s organisers. Attending UK industry will take part in panels, meet Saudi and international financiers, join events at the Souk, and present film projects from their slates.
- 11/30/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival stands as testimony to the kingdom’s unwavering drive to become a film and TV industry powerhouse amid regional conflicts, political turbulence and societal changes.
The Israel-Hamas war caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world, including the Cairo Film Festival and Tunisia’s Carthage Film Days. But Saudi’s rapidly growing fest is forging ahead undeterred with its third edition set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore.
In early October, after the war broke out, “we were assessing the situation day by day,” recalls pioneering Saudi producer and philanthropist Mohammed Al Turki, the event’s CEO, who notes that Red Sea organizers at that point reached out to filmmakers in the Middle East and North Africa region for feedback “and they almost had a heart attack when we told them we might not continue.
The Israel-Hamas war caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world, including the Cairo Film Festival and Tunisia’s Carthage Film Days. But Saudi’s rapidly growing fest is forging ahead undeterred with its third edition set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore.
In early October, after the war broke out, “we were assessing the situation day by day,” recalls pioneering Saudi producer and philanthropist Mohammed Al Turki, the event’s CEO, who notes that Red Sea organizers at that point reached out to filmmakers in the Middle East and North Africa region for feedback “and they almost had a heart attack when we told them we might not continue.
- 11/29/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s selection of five rising talents will be unveiled on Friday, December 1
The seventh edition of Screen International’s talent-spotting initiative Arab Stars of Tomorrow will once again launch at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival (November 30-December 9).
This year’s selection of five rising talents will be unveiled on Friday, December 1 in Screen’s second Red Sea print daily and on Screendaily.com.
On Saturday, December 2 the stars will take part in a panel discussion at 2pm Ast at the festival hosted by Screen, following a breakfast reception
Arab Stars of Tomorrow celebrates Arab talent...
The seventh edition of Screen International’s talent-spotting initiative Arab Stars of Tomorrow will once again launch at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival (November 30-December 9).
This year’s selection of five rising talents will be unveiled on Friday, December 1 in Screen’s second Red Sea print daily and on Screendaily.com.
On Saturday, December 2 the stars will take part in a panel discussion at 2pm Ast at the festival hosted by Screen, following a breakfast reception
Arab Stars of Tomorrow celebrates Arab talent...
- 11/28/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming at the Red Sea Film Festival, has cast his net wide in selecting the 14 films in the festival’s International Short Film Competition program.
Aimed at attracting emerging talent from across Africa, Asia and the Islamic world, the section includes fiction, animation and documentary in films that average 15-20 minutes long, but may be as short as a couple of minutes, or as long as an hour.
With films ranging from Iranian director Farnoosh Samadi’s Iran-French co-production, “Titanic” – which takes a darkly comic look at Iranian film censors confused by how to interpret new regulations – to Kazakh filmmaker Shugyla Serzhan’s “The Late Wind,” about a young pregnant woman suddenly abandoned by her boyfriend, the section pushes boundaries of subjects that are already part of the public conversation in the countries from which it selects.
“One of the biggest things about these films...
Aimed at attracting emerging talent from across Africa, Asia and the Islamic world, the section includes fiction, animation and documentary in films that average 15-20 minutes long, but may be as short as a couple of minutes, or as long as an hour.
With films ranging from Iranian director Farnoosh Samadi’s Iran-French co-production, “Titanic” – which takes a darkly comic look at Iranian film censors confused by how to interpret new regulations – to Kazakh filmmaker Shugyla Serzhan’s “The Late Wind,” about a young pregnant woman suddenly abandoned by her boyfriend, the section pushes boundaries of subjects that are already part of the public conversation in the countries from which it selects.
“One of the biggest things about these films...
- 11/27/2023
- by Nick Holdsworth
- Variety Film + TV
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia will wrap up its third edition next month with a closing-night gala screening on Dec. 7 of Ferrari, the biopic from Michael Mann starring Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley and Patrick Dempsey.
Organizers on Wednesday also unveiled the lineup for the International Spectacular program, which presents “cinema from around the globe and features celebrated auteurs and international filmmaking icons.” The festival highlighted that the section “showcases some of the most highly anticipated and talked about films of the year, screened for the first time in the Arab world.”
The International Spectacular program will also feature Sofia Coppola’s biopic Priscilla, Ava Duvernay’s Origin, John Woo’s Silent Night, Léa Domenach’s Bernadette (The President’s Wife), which sees Catherine Deneuve starring as former French first lady Bernadette Chirac, Aardman’s Sam Fell-directed Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,...
Organizers on Wednesday also unveiled the lineup for the International Spectacular program, which presents “cinema from around the globe and features celebrated auteurs and international filmmaking icons.” The festival highlighted that the section “showcases some of the most highly anticipated and talked about films of the year, screened for the first time in the Arab world.”
The International Spectacular program will also feature Sofia Coppola’s biopic Priscilla, Ava Duvernay’s Origin, John Woo’s Silent Night, Léa Domenach’s Bernadette (The President’s Wife), which sees Catherine Deneuve starring as former French first lady Bernadette Chirac, Aardman’s Sam Fell-directed Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,...
- 11/22/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has announced details of this year's selection of films from Saudi Arabia, alongside the Arab Spectacular and Red Sea: Competition features strands. Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The third edition of the Rsiff – running from 30 November to 9 December – providesa unique and powerful platform for celebrating film, connecting cultures, and expanding horizons while welcoming stories from all walks of life. It is a comprehensive cinematic platform that promotes diversity in all facets of filmmaking, elevating it beyond just a film screening event. These ideas of diversity, connection, and cultural exchange are manifested in this year's theme; “Your Story, Your Festival”.
While celebrating cinema on a global scale, Red Sea Iff throws a spotlight on films made in the...
The third edition of the Rsiff – running from 30 November to 9 December – providesa unique and powerful platform for celebrating film, connecting cultures, and expanding horizons while welcoming stories from all walks of life. It is a comprehensive cinematic platform that promotes diversity in all facets of filmmaking, elevating it beyond just a film screening event. These ideas of diversity, connection, and cultural exchange are manifested in this year's theme; “Your Story, Your Festival”.
While celebrating cinema on a global scale, Red Sea Iff throws a spotlight on films made in the...
- 11/10/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has announced a new batch of mostly international titles set to launch in its Festival Favorites and Treasures strands, including the international premiere of U.S. actor-turned-director Jennifer Esposito’s New York City mob drama “Fresh Kills.”
Inspired by Esposito’s upbringing in Staten Island, “Fresh Kills” – in which Esposito co-stars with Annabella Sciorra – bowed stateside at the Tribeca Festival in June.
Other international talents peppered throughout the Red Sea sections likely to be making the trek to Saudi include Anna Kendrick with her period crime drama “Woman of the Hour”; David Oyelowo, producer of high-profile soccer doc “Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story”; Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn for Swedish director Niclas Larsson’s “Mother, Couch”; Serena and Venus Williams as executive producers of “Copa 71,” the story of the groundbreaking 1971 Women’s World Cup; and French writer-director Laetitia Colombani with her drama “The Braid.
Inspired by Esposito’s upbringing in Staten Island, “Fresh Kills” – in which Esposito co-stars with Annabella Sciorra – bowed stateside at the Tribeca Festival in June.
Other international talents peppered throughout the Red Sea sections likely to be making the trek to Saudi include Anna Kendrick with her period crime drama “Woman of the Hour”; David Oyelowo, producer of high-profile soccer doc “Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story”; Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn for Swedish director Niclas Larsson’s “Mother, Couch”; Serena and Venus Williams as executive producers of “Copa 71,” the story of the groundbreaking 1971 Women’s World Cup; and French writer-director Laetitia Colombani with her drama “The Braid.
- 11/9/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman Of The Hour and family drama Mother Couch, starring Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn, are headed to the third edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah.
The titles will play in the Festival Favorites sidebar which was announced on Thursday alongside the event’s Red Sea: Treasures strand.
Kendrick directs and stars in Netflix-acquired drama Woman Of The Hour as a woman whose path crosses notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, whilst in Niclas Larsson’s first film Mother Couch, McGregor plays a man whose mother squats the family furniture store.
Further films in the line-up – showcasing 21 buzzy festival titles from the last 12 months – include the David Oyelowo produced documentary Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story; Women’s World Cup doc Copa 71, executive produced by Serena and Venus Williams, Jennifer Esposito’s Fresh Kills,...
The titles will play in the Festival Favorites sidebar which was announced on Thursday alongside the event’s Red Sea: Treasures strand.
Kendrick directs and stars in Netflix-acquired drama Woman Of The Hour as a woman whose path crosses notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, whilst in Niclas Larsson’s first film Mother Couch, McGregor plays a man whose mother squats the family furniture store.
Further films in the line-up – showcasing 21 buzzy festival titles from the last 12 months – include the David Oyelowo produced documentary Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story; Women’s World Cup doc Copa 71, executive produced by Serena and Venus Williams, Jennifer Esposito’s Fresh Kills,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled its selection of 36 movies from Saudi Arabia, as well as its Arab Spectacular and Red Sea: Competition lineups for this year’s third edition.
“Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation,” organizers said on Monday.
The program will put a spotlight on films made in the Middle East and North Africa region, featuring 36 feature-length and short films from Saudi Arabia. “The lineup includes internationally recognized talent plus new voices; from Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp which opened at Cannes with support from the Red Sea International Film Financing arm, to Kaouther Ben Hania with Four Daughters, nominated as Tunisia’s submission for international feature at the forthcoming Academy Awards,” the festival said. “Further directors selected...
“Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation,” organizers said on Monday.
The program will put a spotlight on films made in the Middle East and North Africa region, featuring 36 feature-length and short films from Saudi Arabia. “The lineup includes internationally recognized talent plus new voices; from Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp which opened at Cannes with support from the Red Sea International Film Financing arm, to Kaouther Ben Hania with Four Daughters, nominated as Tunisia’s submission for international feature at the forthcoming Academy Awards,” the festival said. “Further directors selected...
- 11/6/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled it 2023 line-up and theme as it maintains its third edition against the backdrop of the escalating Israel-Gaza Conflict. (scroll down for full list)
The edition, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah, will unfold under the theme of “Your Story, Your Festival”.
Among the key sections announced on Monday was the Red Sea International Film Festival: In Competition section which will showcase 17 narrative and documentary features from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
Contenders include UK-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi critically-acclaimed West Bank-set first feature The Teacher, Tunisian-Moroccan filmmaking couple Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane’s Atlas Mountains-set, theatre troupe road movie Backstage, Tawfik Alzaidi’s Norah, which is billed as the first Saudi feature shot in the country’s growing location hub of AlUla, and Iranian director Parviz Shahbazi’s drama Roxana, for which its...
The edition, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah, will unfold under the theme of “Your Story, Your Festival”.
Among the key sections announced on Monday was the Red Sea International Film Festival: In Competition section which will showcase 17 narrative and documentary features from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
Contenders include UK-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi critically-acclaimed West Bank-set first feature The Teacher, Tunisian-Moroccan filmmaking couple Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane’s Atlas Mountains-set, theatre troupe road movie Backstage, Tawfik Alzaidi’s Norah, which is billed as the first Saudi feature shot in the country’s growing location hub of AlUla, and Iranian director Parviz Shahbazi’s drama Roxana, for which its...
- 11/6/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival, which takes place from November 30-December 9, will also give special screenings to Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, which was supported by Red Sea’s financing arm and opened Cannes, and to Dhafer L’abidine’s Saudi-uae co-production To My Son, which world premieres at the festival.
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in...
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival, which takes place from November 30-December 9, will also give special screenings to Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, which was supported by Red Sea’s financing arm and opened Cannes, and to Dhafer L’abidine’s Saudi-uae co-production To My Son, which world premieres at the festival.
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in...
- 11/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Screen Star of Tomorrow 2021 Sorcha Bacon and ’Martyrs Lane’ director Ruth Platt are taking part.
The UK’s Birds’ Eye View – an organisation that campaigns for gender equality in all film spaces – has named the participants taking part in the seventh edition of the Filmonomics professional development programme.
Filmonomics is aimed at up-and-coming feature writers, directors and producers of marginalised genders from across the UK. The five-day programme takes place this month and is led by Birds’ Eye View director Melanie Iredale, training manager Simone Glover and Tolu Stedford, who is part of the Birds’ Eye View advisory committee.
The...
The UK’s Birds’ Eye View – an organisation that campaigns for gender equality in all film spaces – has named the participants taking part in the seventh edition of the Filmonomics professional development programme.
Filmonomics is aimed at up-and-coming feature writers, directors and producers of marginalised genders from across the UK. The five-day programme takes place this month and is led by Birds’ Eye View director Melanie Iredale, training manager Simone Glover and Tolu Stedford, who is part of the Birds’ Eye View advisory committee.
The...
- 1/9/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Who does the industry believe would be a good fit to take over from Tricia Tuttle?
The British Film Institute (BFI) has formally begun its search for a new festivals director to take over from Tricia Tuttle.
Tuttle is moving on after officially taking on the role in 2018, having previously held the post of interim festival director for a year and deputy head of festivals for five years.
The role, which comes with an annual salary of £85,000, will include festival director of the flagship BFI London Film Festival (BFI Lff) and also Lgbtqia+ festival BFI Flare, which next takes place...
The British Film Institute (BFI) has formally begun its search for a new festivals director to take over from Tricia Tuttle.
Tuttle is moving on after officially taking on the role in 2018, having previously held the post of interim festival director for a year and deputy head of festivals for five years.
The role, which comes with an annual salary of £85,000, will include festival director of the flagship BFI London Film Festival (BFI Lff) and also Lgbtqia+ festival BFI Flare, which next takes place...
- 12/14/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Who does the industry believe would be a good fit to take over from Tricia Tuttle?
The British Film Institute (BFI) has formally begun its search for a new festivals director to take over from Tricia Tuttle.
Tuttle is moving on after officially taking on the role in 2018, having previously held the post of interim festival director for a year and deputy head of festivals for five years.
The role, which comes with an annual salary of £85,000, will include festival director of the flagship BFI London Film Festival (BFI Lff) and also Lgbtqia+ festival BFI Flare, which next takes place...
The British Film Institute (BFI) has formally begun its search for a new festivals director to take over from Tricia Tuttle.
Tuttle is moving on after officially taking on the role in 2018, having previously held the post of interim festival director for a year and deputy head of festivals for five years.
The role, which comes with an annual salary of £85,000, will include festival director of the flagship BFI London Film Festival (BFI Lff) and also Lgbtqia+ festival BFI Flare, which next takes place...
- 12/14/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
German-Turkish director Fatih Akin is attending the Red Sea Film Festival for the screening of “Rhinegold,” about young Iranian-Kurdish immigrant Giwar Hajabi, also known as Xatar, who is one of Germany’s most successful rap stars.
The pic was released in Germany on Oct. 27 and has grossed over 10 million, becoming Akin’s biggest hit to date.
As in many of Akin’s previous features, “Rhinegold” explores the energy released by the encounter between Middle Eastern and European culture.
The pic begins with Xatar’s musician parents escaping from Tehran during the 1979 Iranian revolution and includes scenes in Iraq, prior to the family’s departure to Europe and Xatar’s subsequent imprisonment in 2010 in a Syrian jail. Although much of the film takes place in the streets of Europe, the Middle East is a core element of its visceral energy.
Akin is fascinated by such cultural clashes and has said that...
The pic was released in Germany on Oct. 27 and has grossed over 10 million, becoming Akin’s biggest hit to date.
As in many of Akin’s previous features, “Rhinegold” explores the energy released by the encounter between Middle Eastern and European culture.
The pic begins with Xatar’s musician parents escaping from Tehran during the 1979 Iranian revolution and includes scenes in Iraq, prior to the family’s departure to Europe and Xatar’s subsequent imprisonment in 2010 in a Syrian jail. Although much of the film takes place in the streets of Europe, the Middle East is a core element of its visceral energy.
Akin is fascinated by such cultural clashes and has said that...
- 12/6/2022
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Our sixth edition of Arab Stars of Tomorrow spotlights rising Middle Eastern and North African talents.
In our sixth edition of Arab Stars of Tomorrow, Screen International spotlights five emerging Middle Eastern and North African talents in the fields of acting and directing.
This year’s selection comprises Saudi writer/director Mohamed Al Salman, Moroccan writer/director Sofia Alaoui, Lebanese writer/director Dania Bdeir, Tunisian actor Adam Bessa and Lebanese actor Ziad Jallad.
The showcase has been organised in cooperation with the Red Sea International Film Festival for the first time. At a launch panel held at the festival on...
In our sixth edition of Arab Stars of Tomorrow, Screen International spotlights five emerging Middle Eastern and North African talents in the fields of acting and directing.
This year’s selection comprises Saudi writer/director Mohamed Al Salman, Moroccan writer/director Sofia Alaoui, Lebanese writer/director Dania Bdeir, Tunisian actor Adam Bessa and Lebanese actor Ziad Jallad.
The showcase has been organised in cooperation with the Red Sea International Film Festival for the first time. At a launch panel held at the festival on...
- 12/5/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Feature is set for release in spring 2023.
Leading Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has revealed he is making a film based around sex education, which is being lined up for release in spring 2023.
The Indian star told an audience at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah: “I’m making a film on sex education. It’s a very important subject. In a lot of places, it is not there. We have all kinds of subjects we learn in school but sex is one education is one I’d like all the schools in the world to have it because it is important.
Leading Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has revealed he is making a film based around sex education, which is being lined up for release in spring 2023.
The Indian star told an audience at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah: “I’m making a film on sex education. It’s a very important subject. In a lot of places, it is not there. We have all kinds of subjects we learn in school but sex is one education is one I’d like all the schools in the world to have it because it is important.
- 12/3/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Akshay Kumar Tells Saudi Arabian Audience He Is Preparing Sex Education Film – Red Sea Film Festival
Bollywood megastar Akshay Kumar revealed that he is making a feature on the theme of sex education that he hopes to release next spring during an In-Conversation event at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival on Saturday.
“It’s a very important subject. In a lot of places, it is not there. We have all kinds of subjects we learn in school and sex education is one topic I would like all the schools in the world to have. It’s going to take time to release, it’s going to be April, May,” he said, adding “It’s one of the best films I’ve ever made.”
There is a big Bollywood fanbase in Saudi Arabia and Kumar was met with scenes of near hysteria, with women screaming and the crowd surging forward to snap photos on smartphones as he entered the cinema theatre for the event.
“It’s a very important subject. In a lot of places, it is not there. We have all kinds of subjects we learn in school and sex education is one topic I would like all the schools in the world to have. It’s going to take time to release, it’s going to be April, May,” he said, adding “It’s one of the best films I’ve ever made.”
There is a big Bollywood fanbase in Saudi Arabia and Kumar was met with scenes of near hysteria, with women screaming and the crowd surging forward to snap photos on smartphones as he entered the cinema theatre for the event.
- 12/3/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
“We have a strong program that deals with global capitalism, the economic situation of today, the story of the movement of people, how the movement of people has nourished culture around the world, how it has strengthened culture.” This is how Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival introduced his selection, which brings films by Luca Guadagnino, Park Chan-wook and Sam Mendes to Jeddah.
“If we look at the European films, we see a number of films by directors such as Alice Diop, Faith Akin, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah … They’re voices that are being heard and I’m really enjoying being able to champion those voices,” the film critic and programmer continues. “The festival has an international outlook. If you look at the competition, it is African, Asian and Arab films, which I think makes us very unique. It says...
“If we look at the European films, we see a number of films by directors such as Alice Diop, Faith Akin, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah … They’re voices that are being heard and I’m really enjoying being able to champion those voices,” the film critic and programmer continues. “The festival has an international outlook. If you look at the competition, it is African, Asian and Arab films, which I think makes us very unique. It says...
- 12/3/2022
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone voiced support for Saudi Arabia at the opening of the country’s Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday (1 December), saying that the nation is “misunderstood in the present world”.
Stone, who is attending the event’s second ever edition as president of the international jury, said at the ceremony: “You see the changes that are coming here, the reforms. I think people who judge too harshly should come and visit this place and see for themselves.”
The festival, running until 10 December in Jeddah, coincides with the fifth anniversary of Saudi Arabia lifting its 35-year cinema ban.
The event’s chief executive, Mohammed Al Turki, has promised a “zero-censorship” festival that will feature LGBTQ+ themes, despite being held in a country where homosexuality is illegal.
Mr Al Turki told the film industry news website Deadline Hollywood: “The festival has a zero censorship policy. I don...
Stone, who is attending the event’s second ever edition as president of the international jury, said at the ceremony: “You see the changes that are coming here, the reforms. I think people who judge too harshly should come and visit this place and see for themselves.”
The festival, running until 10 December in Jeddah, coincides with the fifth anniversary of Saudi Arabia lifting its 35-year cinema ban.
The event’s chief executive, Mohammed Al Turki, has promised a “zero-censorship” festival that will feature LGBTQ+ themes, despite being held in a country where homosexuality is illegal.
Mr Al Turki told the film industry news website Deadline Hollywood: “The festival has a zero censorship policy. I don...
- 12/2/2022
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - Film
Olive Stone voiced support for Saudi Arabia at the opening Thursday of the second edition of country’s Red Sea International Film Festival, which he is attending as president of the international jury.
Related Story Shah Rukh Khan Lands At Red Sea Film Festival To Talk First Ksa Shoot With ‘Dunki’ And Moving Into Action Movies With ‘Pathaan’ Related Story Jackie Chan, Spike Lee, Nadine Labaki Head To Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Fest For High-Profile In-Conversation Line-up Related Story Saudi Arabia's Mbc Group Expands Anime Partnerships With Toei, Aniplex; Acquires TV Tokyo's Hit Reboot 'Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War'
The Oscar-winning director said Saudi Arabia was a country that is “misunderstood in the present world.”
“You see the changes that are coming here, the reforms. I think people who judge too harshly should come and visit this place and see for themselves,” he told the opening ceremony to cheers and applause.
Related Story Shah Rukh Khan Lands At Red Sea Film Festival To Talk First Ksa Shoot With ‘Dunki’ And Moving Into Action Movies With ‘Pathaan’ Related Story Jackie Chan, Spike Lee, Nadine Labaki Head To Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Fest For High-Profile In-Conversation Line-up Related Story Saudi Arabia's Mbc Group Expands Anime Partnerships With Toei, Aniplex; Acquires TV Tokyo's Hit Reboot 'Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War'
The Oscar-winning director said Saudi Arabia was a country that is “misunderstood in the present world.”
“You see the changes that are coming here, the reforms. I think people who judge too harshly should come and visit this place and see for themselves,” he told the opening ceremony to cheers and applause.
- 12/1/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Talent-spotting initiative celebrates Arab talent who are primed to make their mark in the international industry.
The sixth edition of Screen International’s talent-spotting initiative Arab Stars of Tomorrow will launch at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival (December 1-10) for the first time.
The 2022 Arab Stars of Tomorrow will be unveiled on ScreenDaily on Sunday December 4, accompanied by a panel discussion at 12pm Ast (9am GMT) at the Red Sea film festival hosted by Screen’s international news editor Michael Rosser and followed by a reception. The line-up will also be featured in an upcoming print edition of Screen.
The sixth edition of Screen International’s talent-spotting initiative Arab Stars of Tomorrow will launch at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival (December 1-10) for the first time.
The 2022 Arab Stars of Tomorrow will be unveiled on ScreenDaily on Sunday December 4, accompanied by a panel discussion at 12pm Ast (9am GMT) at the Red Sea film festival hosted by Screen’s international news editor Michael Rosser and followed by a reception. The line-up will also be featured in an upcoming print edition of Screen.
- 11/30/2022
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
The new section aims to programme films “addressing unique topics with a lens that will challenge and delight.”
Mark Jenkin’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight title Enys Men and Jacquelyn Mills’ Berlinale Forum documentary Geographies Of Solitude are among eight features programmed in Red Sea: New Vision, a new programme strand in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff).
The section has no geographical boundaries, and is aiming to “celebrate films that stand out, addressing unique topics with a lens that will challenge and delight” according to the festival.
Scroll down for the New Vision titles
The selection includes...
Mark Jenkin’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight title Enys Men and Jacquelyn Mills’ Berlinale Forum documentary Geographies Of Solitude are among eight features programmed in Red Sea: New Vision, a new programme strand in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff).
The section has no geographical boundaries, and is aiming to “celebrate films that stand out, addressing unique topics with a lens that will challenge and delight” according to the festival.
Scroll down for the New Vision titles
The selection includes...
- 11/16/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Oliver Stone will preside over the main competition jury for the second edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival, honoring a promise to attend in that role dating back to 2020.
The Oscar-winning Born on the Fourth of July and Natural Born Killers director was previously announced as jury president for the festival’s inaugural 2020 edition, which was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
The festival, running December 1-10 in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, unveiled most of the lineup for its sophomore edition Monday. As of now, the event will showcase 131 feature-length and short films from 61 countries in total, 34 of them world premieres, 17 regional premieres, and 47 Mena premieres.
The main competition focuses on works by Arab, African and Asian directors and will showcase 15 films, with potential additions to come. They include the world premiere of Moroccan and French director Omar Mouldouira’s A Summer in Boujad,...
The Oscar-winning Born on the Fourth of July and Natural Born Killers director was previously announced as jury president for the festival’s inaugural 2020 edition, which was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
The festival, running December 1-10 in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, unveiled most of the lineup for its sophomore edition Monday. As of now, the event will showcase 131 feature-length and short films from 61 countries in total, 34 of them world premieres, 17 regional premieres, and 47 Mena premieres.
The main competition focuses on works by Arab, African and Asian directors and will showcase 15 films, with potential additions to come. They include the world premiere of Moroccan and French director Omar Mouldouira’s A Summer in Boujad,...
- 10/31/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Oliver Stone to head features competition jury.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has unveiled the programme for its second edition (December 1-10), with Studiocanal and Working Title’s romantic comedy What’s Love Got To Do With It? playing as the opening night gala.
Directed by Shekhar Kapur and written by Jemima Khan, What’s Love Got To Do With It? stars Lily James and Shazad Latif in the story of two people from different cultures who fall in love. It launched at the Toronto International FIlm Festival in September.
Rsiff will close with the world...
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has unveiled the programme for its second edition (December 1-10), with Studiocanal and Working Title’s romantic comedy What’s Love Got To Do With It? playing as the opening night gala.
Directed by Shekhar Kapur and written by Jemima Khan, What’s Love Got To Do With It? stars Lily James and Shazad Latif in the story of two people from different cultures who fall in love. It launched at the Toronto International FIlm Festival in September.
Rsiff will close with the world...
- 10/31/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The 16th Film London Production Finance Market opened Tuesday morning with a keynote talk featuring BFI CEO Ben Roberts who spoke at length about his 10-year funding plan for British cinema and the financial issues hitting the industry, including the recent shuttering of the Edinburgh Film Festival.
“Edinburgh is being seen as something of a canary in the coal mine in terms of the amount of rising costs and what impact that is having on the exhibition sector,” Roberts said when prompted about the situation.
Roberts was speaking on the day it emerged that the Scottish government was warned by Creative Scotland in September about Edinburgh’s financial difficulties but a bail-out using public money was ruled out.
Later during the keynote, Roberts continued to say that the BFI remains in contact with its exhibition partners. But he was firm in his conclusion that the BFI did not have the...
“Edinburgh is being seen as something of a canary in the coal mine in terms of the amount of rising costs and what impact that is having on the exhibition sector,” Roberts said when prompted about the situation.
Roberts was speaking on the day it emerged that the Scottish government was warned by Creative Scotland in September about Edinburgh’s financial difficulties but a bail-out using public money was ruled out.
Later during the keynote, Roberts continued to say that the BFI remains in contact with its exhibition partners. But he was firm in his conclusion that the BFI did not have the...
- 10/11/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
International press and critics report being unable to access the Cannes ticketing site this morning.
Ticketing and badge collection problems are causing consternation among attendees at Cannes, the day before the festival officially opens.
Dozens of journalists and other industry professionals have taken to social media to express their frustration with the unavailability of the ticketonline.festival-cannes.com page, through which tickets for both press and public screenings are accessed.
“It’s fair to say the Cannes online ticketing system is a shambles wrapped inside a clusterfuck wrapped inside an enigma,” wrote journalist Martyn Conterio, who later posted an image...
Ticketing and badge collection problems are causing consternation among attendees at Cannes, the day before the festival officially opens.
Dozens of journalists and other industry professionals have taken to social media to express their frustration with the unavailability of the ticketonline.festival-cannes.com page, through which tickets for both press and public screenings are accessed.
“It’s fair to say the Cannes online ticketing system is a shambles wrapped inside a clusterfuck wrapped inside an enigma,” wrote journalist Martyn Conterio, who later posted an image...
- 5/16/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Documentary
Liam Gallagher will feature with his sons Lennon and Gene in one-hour Sky special “Liam Gallagher 48 Hours at Rockfield,” where the former Oasis band member heads to the Rockfield Studios in Wales for 48 hours of music and memories. The show is ahead of the release of Gallagher’s new album “C’Mon You Know” and a summer of gigs including a return to Knebworth. Gallagher will perform exclusive tracks from the upcoming album, plus two Oasis classics. In-between the studio sessions Gallagher chats candidly about music, song writing and his upcoming tour.
Gallagher said: “It was great to go back to Rockfield after all these years and see the old firm looking so well. It brought back many memories.”
“Liam Gallagher 48 Hours at Rockfield” was commissioned by Zai Bennett, MD of content for Sky U.K. and Ireland and Phil Edgar-Jones, director of Sky Arts and Entertainment. Shirley Jones is commissioning editor for Sky.
Liam Gallagher will feature with his sons Lennon and Gene in one-hour Sky special “Liam Gallagher 48 Hours at Rockfield,” where the former Oasis band member heads to the Rockfield Studios in Wales for 48 hours of music and memories. The show is ahead of the release of Gallagher’s new album “C’Mon You Know” and a summer of gigs including a return to Knebworth. Gallagher will perform exclusive tracks from the upcoming album, plus two Oasis classics. In-between the studio sessions Gallagher chats candidly about music, song writing and his upcoming tour.
Gallagher said: “It was great to go back to Rockfield after all these years and see the old firm looking so well. It brought back many memories.”
“Liam Gallagher 48 Hours at Rockfield” was commissioned by Zai Bennett, MD of content for Sky U.K. and Ireland and Phil Edgar-Jones, director of Sky Arts and Entertainment. Shirley Jones is commissioning editor for Sky.
- 5/10/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
New position will see Saudi producer step up involvement in festival to spearhead its growth and that of local film and TV industry.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has appointed producer Mohammed Al Turki as CEO in a role making him directly involved in the day-to-day running and development of the event.
Saudi-born Al Turki worked as a producer in Hollywood for 12 years, taking executive producer credits on titles such as Arbitrage, 99 Homes, What Maisie Knew and Crisis.
He returned home following the lifting of Saudi Arabia’s 35-year cinema ban at the end of...
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has appointed producer Mohammed Al Turki as CEO in a role making him directly involved in the day-to-day running and development of the event.
Saudi-born Al Turki worked as a producer in Hollywood for 12 years, taking executive producer credits on titles such as Arbitrage, 99 Homes, What Maisie Knew and Crisis.
He returned home following the lifting of Saudi Arabia’s 35-year cinema ban at the end of...
- 5/10/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The Red Sea International Film Festival’s selection of 12 projects from new and exciting voices from Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab region selected for the Red Sea Lodge, a mentoring program in collaboration with the Torino Film Lab, is a key part of the Festival’s drive to support and promote talent.
At the first edition of the Festival in December, The Red Sea Lodge 2021 winners The Zarqa Girl by Zaid Abuhamdan and The Photographer of Madina by Dalyah Bakheet each received a grant of US 100,000.
The Red Sea Lodge schedule is made up of 5 intensive labs designed to take a diversity of talent at the early stages of their career through the essentials of filmmaking to bring authentic stories to the screen.
The 8 month-program, designed to nurture and support emerging talent, will also improve access to Arab content and drive the potential of Arab talent on the international stage. The final workshop will take place during the second edition of the Festival which is scheduled to run from 1–10 December in Jeddah.
Of the 12 projects selected, 6 are from Saudi Arabia while the other projects are from Egypt, Algeria, and Lebanon. 50 of them are directed, produced, and written by women. As the Saudi Film industry continues to flourish and strives to become the Middle East’s film production hub, cinemas are reporting exponential growth and international productions are heading to shoot in the Kingdom this is an undoubtedly an opportune time for filmmakers breaking into the industry.
The selection committee features leading industry experts, including Savina Neirotti; Executive Director, TorinoFilmLab, Violeta Bava; Head of Studies, TorinoFilmLab, Jumana Zahid; Red Sea Lodge Manager, Shivani Pandya Malhotra; Managing Director of the Red Sea International Festival, Antoine Khalife; Director of the Arab Program, Red Sea International Film Festival, and Kaleem Aftab; Director of International Programming, Red Sea International Film Festival.
Also supporting the committee is Faiza Amba; Saudi Arabian film writer-director; Mohammad Sayed; Egyptian film critic and scriptwriter and Ziad Seaibi; Lebanese actor and lecturer at the Notre Dame University.
Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of the Red Sea International Festival, said: “Together with the Torino Film Lab we are thrilled to be unveiling the next 12 unique projects for The Red Sea Lodge. The feedback from past participants has been very encouraging and this year’s selection is an exciting slate of projects with bold cultural and social ambitions from a diverse selection of voices. The Red Sea Lodge is now building momentum and proving to be a vital support initiative which helps Arab talent to reach new heights in their film careers and ultimately amplify the impact of Saudi and Arab film around the world.”
The selected projects from Saudi Arabia are:
Seasons of Love & War — based on the novel ‘Divers of the Desert’ written by Amal Alfaran, Director/Screenplay Hana Alomair, Co-Writer/Producer Soha Samir.
A Last Argument Against Youth: Writer — Director Mohemmed Algbreen, producer Raghad Bajbaa.
The Crow Nest — Writer/Director Feras Almusharrei, Producer Razan Al Soghayer, Writer Taqwa Ali.
Al Qais — Writer/Director Lujain Hussain, Writer — Producer Abdulrahman Hakeem.
Tahweedah — Writer/Director Omar Al Omirat, Producer Asd Alkarimi.
Yajuj: Curse Of Iram — Director Fahmi Farahat, Producer Jomana Alquraish, Writer Murad Amayreh.
Projects from the wider Arab world:
The Settlement — Egypt — France; Writer/Director Mohamed Rashad, Producer Hala Lotfy.
A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers — Algeria — France; Writer/Director Sofia Djama, Producer Aurélie Turc.
Cain And Abel — Egypt — USA — France; Director Dina Amer, Producer Karim Amer, Writer Omar Mullick.
Dogmas — France — Algeria; Writer/Director Salah Issaad, Producer Taqiyeddine Issaad.
Bubblegum Brigades — Lebanon; Director Samah El Kadi, Producer Michelle Ayoub, Writer Rani Nasr.
Aisha Can’t Fly Away Anymore — Egypt; Writer/Director Morad Mostafa, Producer Sawsan Yusuf.
The second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will run in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from December 1–10, 2022.
At the first edition of the Festival in December, The Red Sea Lodge 2021 winners The Zarqa Girl by Zaid Abuhamdan and The Photographer of Madina by Dalyah Bakheet each received a grant of US 100,000.
The Red Sea Lodge schedule is made up of 5 intensive labs designed to take a diversity of talent at the early stages of their career through the essentials of filmmaking to bring authentic stories to the screen.
The 8 month-program, designed to nurture and support emerging talent, will also improve access to Arab content and drive the potential of Arab talent on the international stage. The final workshop will take place during the second edition of the Festival which is scheduled to run from 1–10 December in Jeddah.
Of the 12 projects selected, 6 are from Saudi Arabia while the other projects are from Egypt, Algeria, and Lebanon. 50 of them are directed, produced, and written by women. As the Saudi Film industry continues to flourish and strives to become the Middle East’s film production hub, cinemas are reporting exponential growth and international productions are heading to shoot in the Kingdom this is an undoubtedly an opportune time for filmmakers breaking into the industry.
The selection committee features leading industry experts, including Savina Neirotti; Executive Director, TorinoFilmLab, Violeta Bava; Head of Studies, TorinoFilmLab, Jumana Zahid; Red Sea Lodge Manager, Shivani Pandya Malhotra; Managing Director of the Red Sea International Festival, Antoine Khalife; Director of the Arab Program, Red Sea International Film Festival, and Kaleem Aftab; Director of International Programming, Red Sea International Film Festival.
Also supporting the committee is Faiza Amba; Saudi Arabian film writer-director; Mohammad Sayed; Egyptian film critic and scriptwriter and Ziad Seaibi; Lebanese actor and lecturer at the Notre Dame University.
Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of the Red Sea International Festival, said: “Together with the Torino Film Lab we are thrilled to be unveiling the next 12 unique projects for The Red Sea Lodge. The feedback from past participants has been very encouraging and this year’s selection is an exciting slate of projects with bold cultural and social ambitions from a diverse selection of voices. The Red Sea Lodge is now building momentum and proving to be a vital support initiative which helps Arab talent to reach new heights in their film careers and ultimately amplify the impact of Saudi and Arab film around the world.”
The selected projects from Saudi Arabia are:
Seasons of Love & War — based on the novel ‘Divers of the Desert’ written by Amal Alfaran, Director/Screenplay Hana Alomair, Co-Writer/Producer Soha Samir.
A Last Argument Against Youth: Writer — Director Mohemmed Algbreen, producer Raghad Bajbaa.
The Crow Nest — Writer/Director Feras Almusharrei, Producer Razan Al Soghayer, Writer Taqwa Ali.
Al Qais — Writer/Director Lujain Hussain, Writer — Producer Abdulrahman Hakeem.
Tahweedah — Writer/Director Omar Al Omirat, Producer Asd Alkarimi.
Yajuj: Curse Of Iram — Director Fahmi Farahat, Producer Jomana Alquraish, Writer Murad Amayreh.
Projects from the wider Arab world:
The Settlement — Egypt — France; Writer/Director Mohamed Rashad, Producer Hala Lotfy.
A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers — Algeria — France; Writer/Director Sofia Djama, Producer Aurélie Turc.
Cain And Abel — Egypt — USA — France; Director Dina Amer, Producer Karim Amer, Writer Omar Mullick.
Dogmas — France — Algeria; Writer/Director Salah Issaad, Producer Taqiyeddine Issaad.
Bubblegum Brigades — Lebanon; Director Samah El Kadi, Producer Michelle Ayoub, Writer Rani Nasr.
Aisha Can’t Fly Away Anymore — Egypt; Writer/Director Morad Mostafa, Producer Sawsan Yusuf.
The second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will run in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from December 1–10, 2022.
- 5/8/2022
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
If you knew where to look during the pandemic, there were a number of bread crumbs that David Lynch was up to… something. The director, of course, churned out his daily weather reports but aside from a delightful, much-need bit of his charm in our lives, it may have been a distracting ruse to divert from the big picture.
Sixteen years after his last film, it now looks like Lynch is ready to unveil his next project. While it would’ve been an utter shock to get the news on Thursday morning’s official press conference, journalist Kaleem Aftab shared a cryptic tweet last week and Variety has confirmed today (followed by further confirmation from Aftab) that Lynch will premiere a new film at Cannes Film Festival. Featuring Laura Dern in a cameo or supporting role as well as other undisclosed Lynch regulars, no other details were given.
Right before the pandemic began,...
Sixteen years after his last film, it now looks like Lynch is ready to unveil his next project. While it would’ve been an utter shock to get the news on Thursday morning’s official press conference, journalist Kaleem Aftab shared a cryptic tweet last week and Variety has confirmed today (followed by further confirmation from Aftab) that Lynch will premiere a new film at Cannes Film Festival. Featuring Laura Dern in a cameo or supporting role as well as other undisclosed Lynch regulars, no other details were given.
Right before the pandemic began,...
- 4/12/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
International film festival launches in Jeddah exactly four years after lifting of Saudi’s 35-year cinema ban.
Saudi Arabia’s new Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) opens in the country’s second-largest city of Jeddah on Monday evening (December 6), opening with Joe Wright’s musical Cyrano, starring Peter Dinklage in the title role.
Wright is expected to attend the opening ceremony, taking place in a specially constructed outdoor theatre in the port city’s 1,400-year-old historic quarter of Al-Balad, which will serve as the festival hub.
The UK director will be among around 1,000 international guests expected to attend the festival,...
Saudi Arabia’s new Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) opens in the country’s second-largest city of Jeddah on Monday evening (December 6), opening with Joe Wright’s musical Cyrano, starring Peter Dinklage in the title role.
Wright is expected to attend the opening ceremony, taking place in a specially constructed outdoor theatre in the port city’s 1,400-year-old historic quarter of Al-Balad, which will serve as the festival hub.
The UK director will be among around 1,000 international guests expected to attend the festival,...
- 12/6/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The Red Sea International Film Festival has set the lineup for its inaugural edition which runs from December 6-15 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The roster includes 138 titles from 67 countries and will open with MGM’s Joe Wright-directed musical romance Cyrano. The film previously played Telluride and Rome among others and releases domestically on December 31. Among highlights are also Netflix’s Venice Film Festival drama The Lost Daughter. Closing the Red Sea Fest is the world premiere of Egyptian director Amr Salama’s Bara El Manhag.
Sixteen films will run in the competition which is focused on films from Asia, Africa and the Arab world (see full list below). They will vie for the Golden Yusr Award as well as in individual directing, acting and writing categories. Among the titles screening are Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon, Georgian Oscar submission Brighton 4th and Panah Panahi’s Hit The Road.
Kaleem Aftab,...
The roster includes 138 titles from 67 countries and will open with MGM’s Joe Wright-directed musical romance Cyrano. The film previously played Telluride and Rome among others and releases domestically on December 31. Among highlights are also Netflix’s Venice Film Festival drama The Lost Daughter. Closing the Red Sea Fest is the world premiere of Egyptian director Amr Salama’s Bara El Manhag.
Sixteen films will run in the competition which is focused on films from Asia, Africa and the Arab world (see full list below). They will vie for the Golden Yusr Award as well as in individual directing, acting and writing categories. Among the titles screening are Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon, Georgian Oscar submission Brighton 4th and Panah Panahi’s Hit The Road.
Kaleem Aftab,...
- 11/9/2021
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Check out TheWrap’s digital Cannes magazine issue here. You can find all of TheWrap’s Cannes coverage here.
How busy has Tilda Swinton been this Cannes? She’s got five movies in the festival, she became an Internet meme along with her “French Dispatch” co-stars, and on Friday she picked up the coveted Palm Dog Award.
The prize is a makeshift award created by journalists in 2001 to celebrate the best canine performers in the festival. And Swinton was on hand this year to accept her Palm Dog “collar.” Turns out Swinton stars alongside her own trio of spaniels in Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir Part II,” which premiered in the Directors Fortnight section. And in accepting her prize, she even welcomed Hogg to the stage by calling her through FaceTime on her iPhone.
Sean Baker, director of “Red Rocket,” also accepted a prize for the Palm Dog on behalf...
How busy has Tilda Swinton been this Cannes? She’s got five movies in the festival, she became an Internet meme along with her “French Dispatch” co-stars, and on Friday she picked up the coveted Palm Dog Award.
The prize is a makeshift award created by journalists in 2001 to celebrate the best canine performers in the festival. And Swinton was on hand this year to accept her Palm Dog “collar.” Turns out Swinton stars alongside her own trio of spaniels in Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir Part II,” which premiered in the Directors Fortnight section. And in accepting her prize, she even welcomed Hogg to the stage by calling her through FaceTime on her iPhone.
Sean Baker, director of “Red Rocket,” also accepted a prize for the Palm Dog on behalf...
- 7/16/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Tilda Swinton and Sean Baker were among the human co-conspirators present to accept awards on behalf of the canine scene-stealers in their Cannes films at the irreverent Palm Dog Awards on the Croisette this afternoon. Masterminded by journalist Toby Rose in 2001, inspired by his own French fox terrier Muttley, the Palm Dog Awards show has become an annual treat on the penultimate day of the Cannes Film Festival, and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Swinton accepted the Palm Dog prize on behalf of her very own trio of spaniels, who star alongside her in Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II. Hogg was present at the show too, albeit over FaceTime from Swinton’s iPhone.
The Jury Prize was shared by Sophie in Sean Baker’s Red Rocket, and Panda, the sheepdog in Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Lamb. Both directors were on hand to collect the prizes.
Baker, who arrived...
Swinton accepted the Palm Dog prize on behalf of her very own trio of spaniels, who star alongside her in Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II. Hogg was present at the show too, albeit over FaceTime from Swinton’s iPhone.
The Jury Prize was shared by Sophie in Sean Baker’s Red Rocket, and Panda, the sheepdog in Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Lamb. Both directors were on hand to collect the prizes.
Baker, who arrived...
- 7/16/2021
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Check out TheWrap’s digital Cannes magazine issue here. You can find all of TheWrap’s Cannes coverage here.
Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” proved to be another highlight in this year’s Cannes Film Festival, but the person earning real raves is the film’s star, Simon Rex.
American audiences might better know him as Dirt Nasty from the “Scary Movie” franchise of films, but critics have called him “terrific” and “sensational” and said that he has earned his “Uncut Gems” moment for his performance as a washed-up porn star who is trying to groom a younger girl in the art. One Twitter user even suggested that Cannes should award him the Best Actor prize for his work.
“Give Simon Rex the Best Actor award. Sean Baker is a national treasure. I was glued to his twisted red state Americana vision for almost its entire two hours,” critic Jordan Ruimy wrote.
Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” proved to be another highlight in this year’s Cannes Film Festival, but the person earning real raves is the film’s star, Simon Rex.
American audiences might better know him as Dirt Nasty from the “Scary Movie” franchise of films, but critics have called him “terrific” and “sensational” and said that he has earned his “Uncut Gems” moment for his performance as a washed-up porn star who is trying to groom a younger girl in the art. One Twitter user even suggested that Cannes should award him the Best Actor prize for his work.
“Give Simon Rex the Best Actor award. Sean Baker is a national treasure. I was glued to his twisted red state Americana vision for almost its entire two hours,” critic Jordan Ruimy wrote.
- 7/15/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Festival also unveils new programmers and festival sections.
Former Cannes Directors’ Fortnight head Edouard Waintrop is joining the inaugural edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival as artistic director. The festival is due to take place in the port city of Jeddah from November 11 to 20.
”This new and great festival will celebrate all aspects of cinema, from the creatives telling stories to the technical craftspeople putting imaginative ideas onto the big screen, celebrating filmmaking as force for positive change,” said Waintrop. ”It is a great privilege and honour to be leading the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Former Cannes Directors’ Fortnight head Edouard Waintrop is joining the inaugural edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival as artistic director. The festival is due to take place in the port city of Jeddah from November 11 to 20.
”This new and great festival will celebrate all aspects of cinema, from the creatives telling stories to the technical craftspeople putting imaginative ideas onto the big screen, celebrating filmmaking as force for positive change,” said Waintrop. ”It is a great privilege and honour to be leading the Red Sea International Film Festival.
- 6/14/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has announced Edouard Waintrop as its artistic director ahead of the inaugural edition in November, 2021.
This is a coup for the event given Waintrop’s standing on the circuit. The former critic was Director of Cannes’ parallel strand Directors’ Fortnight from 2012 – 2018.
Also joining the Rsiff team as Special Program Manager is Faizah Ambah, the writer-director and former Washington Post correspondent.
Waintrop will join a team of programmers including film critic Kaleem Aftab (Director of International Programming), Antoine Khalife (Director of Arab Programs & Film Classics), and Mohyee Qari (Program Manager).
The programming team is also adding Marta Balaga, Alice Kharoubi, Leigh Singer, Carmen Thompson, Badih Massaad, and Kim Young-Woo as programming consultants.
Julie Bergeron is returning to the Rsiff as Red Sea Souk Consultant, moving from her previous role as Head of Red Sea Souk. Bergeron has been head of industry programs at the...
This is a coup for the event given Waintrop’s standing on the circuit. The former critic was Director of Cannes’ parallel strand Directors’ Fortnight from 2012 – 2018.
Also joining the Rsiff team as Special Program Manager is Faizah Ambah, the writer-director and former Washington Post correspondent.
Waintrop will join a team of programmers including film critic Kaleem Aftab (Director of International Programming), Antoine Khalife (Director of Arab Programs & Film Classics), and Mohyee Qari (Program Manager).
The programming team is also adding Marta Balaga, Alice Kharoubi, Leigh Singer, Carmen Thompson, Badih Massaad, and Kim Young-Woo as programming consultants.
Julie Bergeron is returning to the Rsiff as Red Sea Souk Consultant, moving from her previous role as Head of Red Sea Souk. Bergeron has been head of industry programs at the...
- 6/14/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
French film critic Edouard Waintrop, a former Cannes Directors’ Fortnight chief, has joined Saudi Arabia’s nascent Red Sea International Film Festival as artistic director.
Waintrop, who between 2012 and 2018 headed the independently run Cannes section, had previously been an advisor to the ambitious Red Sea fest which, after a delay due to coronavirus, is now on track to hold its first edition Nov. 11-20 in the historic district of the city of Jeddah, a Unesco World Heritage site.
In a statement the Red Sea fest’s new chief said the event “will celebrate all aspects of cinema, from the creatives telling stories to the technical craftspeople putting imaginative ideas onto the big screen, celebrating filmmaking as force for positive change.”
It will be “the place for the leaders and visionaries of Arab cinema, both established and emerging, to meet, celebrate successes, and look forward to a bright future,” he added.
Waintrop, who between 2012 and 2018 headed the independently run Cannes section, had previously been an advisor to the ambitious Red Sea fest which, after a delay due to coronavirus, is now on track to hold its first edition Nov. 11-20 in the historic district of the city of Jeddah, a Unesco World Heritage site.
In a statement the Red Sea fest’s new chief said the event “will celebrate all aspects of cinema, from the creatives telling stories to the technical craftspeople putting imaginative ideas onto the big screen, celebrating filmmaking as force for positive change.”
It will be “the place for the leaders and visionaries of Arab cinema, both established and emerging, to meet, celebrate successes, and look forward to a bright future,” he added.
- 6/14/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Eight-month programme culminates with industry pitching event at first edition of Red Sea International Film Festival in November.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled the 12 projects that will participate in its 2021 Red Sea Lodge project lab, which is organised in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab.
Six of the projects are Saudi while the other projects hail from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon.
Half of the projects are directed by women including Saudi director Dalyah Bakheet’s The Photographer Of Madina, based on the true story of a female photographer who opened the first studio for women in Saudia Arabia,...
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled the 12 projects that will participate in its 2021 Red Sea Lodge project lab, which is organised in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab.
Six of the projects are Saudi while the other projects hail from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon.
Half of the projects are directed by women including Saudi director Dalyah Bakheet’s The Photographer Of Madina, based on the true story of a female photographer who opened the first studio for women in Saudia Arabia,...
- 3/25/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
After a delay due to coronavirus, Saudi Arabia’s nascent Red Sea International Film Festival is now on track to hold its first edition in November with a partly renewed team in place.
The ambitious event, which is Saudi’s first full-fledged film festival and market with international ambitions, is set to run Nov. 11-20 in the historic district of Jeddah, a Unesco World Heritage site.
The theme of the fest’s first edition will be “Metamorphosis,” intended as a celebration of “cinema as a force for positive change,” organizers said in a statement. The theme “reflects on the festival’s local context: the impact of cinema’s triumphant return to Saudi Arabia since 2019, as well as the blossoming local and regional film scenes, exploring how cinema culture can create an interface connecting a new, outward-looking Saudi and the world.”
Moviegoing is now booming in Saudi after the country in...
The ambitious event, which is Saudi’s first full-fledged film festival and market with international ambitions, is set to run Nov. 11-20 in the historic district of Jeddah, a Unesco World Heritage site.
The theme of the fest’s first edition will be “Metamorphosis,” intended as a celebration of “cinema as a force for positive change,” organizers said in a statement. The theme “reflects on the festival’s local context: the impact of cinema’s triumphant return to Saudi Arabia since 2019, as well as the blossoming local and regional film scenes, exploring how cinema culture can create an interface connecting a new, outward-looking Saudi and the world.”
Moviegoing is now booming in Saudi after the country in...
- 2/25/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Event will be Saudi Arabia’s first major international film festival.
The inaugural edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival will take place from November 11- 20 this year, the Jeddah-set event has announced.
The event, which is Saudi Arabia’s first international film festival, was first announced in March 2019 following the lifting of the country’s 30-year cinema ban at the end of 2017.
Its first edition was to have taken place last March but was cancelled just a week before its scheduled start date due to the worsening Covid-19 health situation around the world.
Under this second attempt,...
The inaugural edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival will take place from November 11- 20 this year, the Jeddah-set event has announced.
The event, which is Saudi Arabia’s first international film festival, was first announced in March 2019 following the lifting of the country’s 30-year cinema ban at the end of 2017.
Its first edition was to have taken place last March but was cancelled just a week before its scheduled start date due to the worsening Covid-19 health situation around the world.
Under this second attempt,...
- 2/25/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
CAA has signed filmmaker Déa Kulumbegashvili, whose film “Beginning” is Georgia’s submission for best international feature at the 2021 Oscars.
“Beginning” marks Kulumbegashvili’s feature directorial debut and has made major waves along the film festival circuit since its debut last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film won the Fipresci Prize. An official selection by the Cannes Film Festival, the project also swept the best film, director, actress and screenplay prizes at the San Sebastian Film Festival; and was featured on the main slate at the New York Film Festival.
Born and raised in Georgia, Kulumbegashvili studied film at Columbia University, and previously screened her short films “Invisible Spaces” (2014) and “Léthé” (2016) at Cannes.
“Beginning” stars Ia Sukhitashvili as Yana, the wife of the community leader in a sleepy provincial town in Georgia. When the Jehovah Witness community is attacked by an extremist group and Yana’s outer world begins to crumble,...
“Beginning” marks Kulumbegashvili’s feature directorial debut and has made major waves along the film festival circuit since its debut last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film won the Fipresci Prize. An official selection by the Cannes Film Festival, the project also swept the best film, director, actress and screenplay prizes at the San Sebastian Film Festival; and was featured on the main slate at the New York Film Festival.
Born and raised in Georgia, Kulumbegashvili studied film at Columbia University, and previously screened her short films “Invisible Spaces” (2014) and “Léthé” (2016) at Cannes.
“Beginning” stars Ia Sukhitashvili as Yana, the wife of the community leader in a sleepy provincial town in Georgia. When the Jehovah Witness community is attacked by an extremist group and Yana’s outer world begins to crumble,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
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Disney+ has a new major release for families just as 2020 is wrapping up: “Soul,” the first Black-led Pixar film, was supposed to hit theaters in June 2020 but instead is out December 25 on Disney+ — no premium access required.
While “Mulan” required an additional $30 purchase for “Disney+ Premier Access,” which gave users who bought the film unlimited access to the live-action remake for as long as they subscribe to the service, “Soul” is being released on the regular tier that all users pay for, like other 2020 films including “Godmothered,” “Black Beauty,” the Taylor Swift documentary “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions,” “The Mandalorian,” and the upcoming Marvel shows.
Buy: Disney+ $6.99/month or $69.99/year Buy it...
Disney+ has a new major release for families just as 2020 is wrapping up: “Soul,” the first Black-led Pixar film, was supposed to hit theaters in June 2020 but instead is out December 25 on Disney+ — no premium access required.
While “Mulan” required an additional $30 purchase for “Disney+ Premier Access,” which gave users who bought the film unlimited access to the live-action remake for as long as they subscribe to the service, “Soul” is being released on the regular tier that all users pay for, like other 2020 films including “Godmothered,” “Black Beauty,” the Taylor Swift documentary “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions,” “The Mandalorian,” and the upcoming Marvel shows.
Buy: Disney+ $6.99/month or $69.99/year Buy it...
- 12/22/2020
- by Jean Bentley
- Indiewire
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