Under the slogan "Your Story at Your Festival," the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival kicked off in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, today, Thursday, with a large attendance of film stars from around the world. Among the artists who walked the red carpet at the opening were Will Smith, Johnny Depp, and Sharon Stone from the United States, Fatih Akin from Germany, Sofía Vergara from Colombia, and Egyptian stars Nabila Obeid and Lablaba, along with Adam Karam and Nicola Mouawad from Lebanon, and Qusai Khuli from Syria.
The festival honored Saudi actor Abdullah Al-Sadhan, German actress Diane Kruger, and Indian actor Ranveer Singh at the opening ceremony. The festival's program, which runs until December 9, includes about 130 films, both feature and short, from 77 countries, of which 35 will be screened to the public for the first time globally.
The festival features a section to highlight local filmmakers titled “New Saudi Cinema,” which includes documentary and narrative films reflecting the promising features of cinema production in the region. The opening night showcased the Saudi film "Hawjan" directed by Yasser Al-Yasri, starring Noor Al-Khadriah, Baraa Alam, Nayef Al-Dhafiri, Al-Anoud Saud, Mohsen Mansour, and Shaima Al-Tayeb. It is adapted from the novel of the same name by author Ibrahim Abbas.
Jumana Al-Rashed, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation, stated that the Saudi film industry has become the fastest-growing film sector in the region, with cinema ticket revenues doubling since the decline of the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching record levels comparable to those in more established countries.
Alongside the festival, the "Red Sea Market" will be held from December 2 to 5, dedicated to discovering the best and latest productions and projects in the Arab and African film market, serving as an attractive destination for distributors, festival programmers, and producers.
