From December 5–14, the Red Sea International Film Festival will present its most ambitious lineup yet, turning Jeddah’s historic Al Balad area into a lively movie-going spot. After two years at the Ritz-Carlton, this fourth version will bring 120 films from 81 countries to the city’s heritage quarter, a big move back to this area.
Egyptian director Karim Shenawy’s play “The Tale of Daye’s Family” will open the festival. It’s about an 11-year-old Nubian albino boy who wants to try out for “The Voice” in Cairo. Better Man, Michael Gracey’s unusual biopic of Robbie Williams, which shows the pop star as an ape, will be the last movie shown.
The event is sure to have many big names. Viola Davis, an Academy Award winner, and Mona Zaki, an Egyptian actress, are both set to receive special awards. Davis will do more than just accept the award. Through her production business, JVL Media, she will participate in discussions about the industry.
In the major competition, fifteen films from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia will be shown for the first time in their home countries. Mahdi Fleifel’s “To A Land Unknown,” which was shown at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight before, and Roya Sadat’s “Sima’s Song,” a powerful look at women’s rights in Afghanistan in the 1970s, are two of the best entries.
The movies “A Sudden Case of Christmas” featuring Danny DeVito and “Maria” by Pablo Larrain will be shown at important galas. Angelina Jolie will play the opera legend Maria Callas. “Modi, Three Days on the Wing of Madness” starring Johnny Depp will also be shown. This shows that the festival is dedicated to helping local film talent through its apprenticeship program.
This year’s program is being put together with CAA Media Finance, which is a big change for the business. The fact that 75 companies from 18 countries have set up shop in the festival’s Souk market shows how important it is becoming as a hub for the regional film industry.
The full list of celebrities and jury members has not been released yet. Still, the festival’s return to Al Balad promises to be a spectacular celebration of world film set in Jeddah’s newly restored historic district.
