News

Billy Bob Thornton might be starring in the latest in a long line of successful shows in the Taylor Sheridan-verse with "Landman," but like every actor, his filmography has its share of duds. The star, who propelled himself to stardom by writing, directing, and starring in the 1996 drama "Sling Blade," wasn't always able to match the quality of that breakthrough performance, as evidenced by his Rotten Tomatoes page.

The site that claims there are only two perfect Alfred Hitchcock movies might not be the most reliable source, but it gives us an overall sense of how Thornton's films have been received, and there are plenty of missteps here, from the Western flop "South of Heaven, West of Hell" and its 14% critic score to the comedy-drama "Waking Up in Reno," which earned just 8% and which Todd McCarthy of Variety called "a hillbilly romantic comedy in which the hillbillies show up...

May 14, 2025—The Red Sea Film Festival has appointed Fionnuala Halligan as Director of International Programmes, replacing Kaleem Aftab. In her new post, Halligan will partner with Antoine Khalife, Director of Arab Programs and Film Classics, to curate the festival’s global selection.

Halligan spent over a decade at Screen International, where she held roles as chief critic and executive editor. She began her career as a film critic for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and spent five years programming for the Macao International Film Festival. Her memberships include the London Film Critics’ Circle, BAFTA and the European Film Academy.

“I’m honored to join the Red Sea Film Foundation,” Halligan said. “After Cannes, I’ll focus on expanding our international lineup alongside this talented team.” Managing Director Shivani Pandya-Malhotra praised Halligan’s “impeccable taste” and deep knowledge of Asian and world cinema, noting her contributions will raise the festival’s profile.

Veteran journalist and programmer Fionnuala Halligan has been hired as the Red Sea Film Festival’s Director of International Programmes.

Halligan replaces Kaleem Aftab, who stepped down late last year. Her remit will include working alongside Director of Arab Programs and Film Classics Antoine Khalife to shape and curate the festival’s line-up.

Halligan was a longtime critic at Screen International. She began her career in media working at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. She also served as a consultant to and an international programmer for the Macao International Film Festival for five years. She is a member of the London Film Critics’ Circle, BAFTA, and the European Film Academy.

“It’s a privilege to be joining the Red Sea Film Foundation in this new role,” Halligan said in a statement. “As I complete my tenure at Screen, I look forward to fully taking on the role...

British diver Tom Daley is the subject of 1.6 Seconds, a new feature documentary from Warner Bros. Discovery, the Olympic Channel and UK producers Western Edge Pictures.

Directed by Western Edge Pictures’ Vaughan Sivell, 1.6 Seconds will premiere on the discovery+ channel in the UK and Ireland in early June, and broadcast on Really and TNT Sports later that month.

Olympics.com will premiere the film in the US and territories outside of Europe; while it will broadcast on Max and discovery+ across mainland Europe in early June, then on June 23 on Eurosport.

The film has been produced for Warner Bros. Discovery...

MetFilm Distribution has acquired UK-Ireland distribution rights to Silvio Soldini’s Second World War drama The Tastersfrom Italy’s Vision Distribution.

MetFilm will release the film in cinemas later this year.

Based on Rosella Postorino’s 2018 novel At The Wolf’s Table, The Tasters reconstructs the true story of the women coerced into being food tasters for Adolf Hitler towards the end of the Second World War.

Soldini wrote the screenplay with Doriana Leondeff, Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda, Ilaria Macchia and Lucio Ricca.

The film is produced by Lionello Cerri, Stefan Jager, Cristiana Mainardi, Katrin Renz and Joseph Rouschop for...

Canada’s Syndicado Film Sales has added three features to its slate ahead of this month’s Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (Cph:dox)

The company has boarded The Gardener, The Buddhist & The Spy from established documentary filmmaker Havard Bustnes. The English-language film follows a former candid camera TV producer who is exposed as a corporate spy. He claims to be a whistleblower exposing corruption, leading to a battle of truth and deception between him and two investigating journalists.

The film will have its world premiere in the F:Act competition at Cph:dox on March 24; it is produced by Carsten Aanonsen and...

Kaleem Aftab has stepped down as Director of International Programming at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival.

The film writer, critic, programmer and moderator has been part of the festival programming team since its inaugural edition in 2021, when there was still a lot of scepticism and pushback in the wider film world about the event.

Aftab, who was a popular and respected figure at the festival, and expected to remain on the team for some time to come, is stepping down for personal family reasons.

Under his watch, the international program pushed boundaries in Saudi Arabia, which lifted its 35-year ban on cinema in 2017.

In a move not seen in many other mainstream festivals, he gave space to African and Asian filmmakers and introduced Saudi audiences to European films, mainly by second generation directors, while his selections included films with LGBTQ+ characters and storylines from the very first edition.

Kaleem Aftab has left his role as director of international programming at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival.

Aftab departed after the festival’s fourth edition, which ran from December 6-14, 2024.

“When I first started working for Red Sea, everyone said it would be impossible to put on a successful film festival in Saudi Arabia,” said Aftab. “I’m deeply proud of the work that I did there, and the progressive programming, including showing content that people never believed would be shown publicly in Saudi Arabia.

“Having seen the journey all the way to last year’s hugely...

Thierry Fremaux, the long-time general delegate of the Cannes Film Festival, spoke on modern film during the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. His words emphasized the significance of regional film festivals and his commitment to the art of filmmaking.

In a chat with the festival’s director of international programming, Kaleem Aftab, Fremaux emphasized the importance of Arab and African cinema. “Here is the place of Arab cinema, African cinema, which is important,” he told me. He urged the Red Sea Festival to accept its unique role in film.

Fremaux, who has overseen Cannes since 2007, expressed hope for the future of cinema and downplayed concerns about the pandemic’s influence on streaming services. “I don’t think cinema is dying,” he said. There is something in the air about a great cinema comeback.”

The veteran curator pondered on his career and set lofty goals for himself. “One day,...

Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux confessed to being “very impressed” by Red Sea International Film Festival, on his second visit to the event.

“We come here to see you. We come to see a different point of view,” said Fremaux to the audience, in a discussion with Red Sea director of international programming Kaleem Aftab on Saturday titled ‘Cinefilomania’, as part of the Souk industry programme.

“There are a lot of European people here, because it is becoming important,” said Fremaux. “Important for the business, for the market; also for the quality of the selection. More and more, you will have real premieres.

“Home” is the theme of the 4th edition of the Red Sea Film Festival as it returns to its original location, but in a sleek custom-built venue, in the recently renovated Al-Balad district in Jeddah, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Kaleem Aftab, the fest’s head of international programming, says that home is a fitting theme for this year’s edition since the festival increasingly serves as a key platform for Africa, Arab and Asian cinema, and its impact is now all-year-round through the work of the Red Sea Film Foundation.

“We’re focusing on what we can achieve as a foundation rather than just as a festival,” he explains, adding that 11 of the 122 films screening at this year’s edition have been developed within the Red Sea eco-system, including the opening film, “The Tale of Daye’s Family,” which is a Saudi Egyptian co-production.

“We are the best place...

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has announced details of this year’s selection of films screening in its prestigious Red Sea: Competition strand, the projects which will vie for the coveted Yusr Awards.

The Competition values all cinematic forms, from narrative to animation and documentary, featuring films from Asia, Africa, and across the Arab world. Mahdi Fleifel‘s To A Land Unknown will have its Mena premiere, a powerful drama that traces the heartbreaking story of two Palestinian refugees stranded in Athens that received funding from Rsiff. Also debuting as Mena premieres are Sima’s Song directed by Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat, a drama that explores the evolution of women’s rights during the Russian occupation in the 1970s, and Indian director Reema Kagti’s Superboys of Malegaon, a critically acclaimed comedy based on the true story of a group of amateur filmmakers who come together to create a film that honors their city.

The Red Sea International Film Festival has announced its lineup for the fourth edition ‘New Vision’ and ‘Series’ strands. This year marks the first time Saudi works have been selected in New Vision, underscoring the vibrant evolution of local and regional cinema, while the Series strand highlights exciting new voices from the small screen with four new international television shows.

Four out of the five films spotlighted in the Red Sea: New Vision strand are Saudi, celebrating exceptional talent and creativity while offering audiences a captivating glimpse into diverse cultures. Saudi voices take centre stage this year alongside a diverse selection of international films and series, highlighting the Kingdom’s cultural renaissance while highlighting global creativity and innovation.

The Saudi feature, Alroshan by director Mohammed Ous, celebrates the cherished artistic legacy of Roshans, wooden facades that are architectural landmarks in Makkah, Jeddah, and Medina. When The Light Shines, Ryan Al Bishri...

The Red Sea International Film Festival on Wednesday unveiled the lineups for its New Vision and Series strands at the event’s fourth edition in December, featuring new Saudi voices, the Vatican, a new Zorro series with The Artist star Jean Dujardin, an English historian, a deep dive into Turkish telenovela series, and a lot of art. “This year marks the first time Saudi works have been selected in New Vision, underscoring the vibrant evolution of local and regional cinema, while the Series strand highlights exciting new voices from the small screen with four new international television shows,” organizers highlighted.

The 2024 edition of the Rsiff takes place Dec. 5-14 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after a star-studded 2023 festival.

Four out of the five films in the Red Sea: New Vision strand are Saudi movies. “Saudi voices take center stage this year alongside a diverse selection of international films and series, highlighting...

The Red Sea International Film Festival is holding its fourth edition from December 6 through 14 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The festival aims to bring acclaimed international movies to Arab audiences while also providing a stage for regional filmmakers. This year’s selection of “Festival Favorites” demonstrates how the event highlights African and Arab storytelling alongside global cinema.

The line-up features 18 films that have stood out on the international festival circuit. Leading the selections is the British crime thriller “Santosh” by director Sandhya Suri. The movie was chosen as the UK’s entry for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category. Two Egyptian films made the cut: Hala Elkoussy’s allegorical “East of Noon” and Jaylan Auf’s “Inevitable Journey of a Wedding Dress.” Both titles were fresh from screenings at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival.

African cinema takes the spotlight with movies from Nigeria. “The Legend of the Vagabond:...

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has unveiled a first batch of titles that will screen as part of its “Festival Favorites” lineup, showcasing the cream of the international fest crop for Arab audiences.

Besides including recent Cannes standouts such as Sandhya Suri’s crime thriller “Santosh” (pictured) –which will represent the U.K. in the international Oscars race — and Chinese auteur Guan Hu’s noir “Black Dog,” this year’s selection has a strong accent on titles from Africa and the Arab world.

Arabic titles span from Tunisian auteur Ala Eddine Slim’s atmospheric drama “Agora,” which launched from Locarno, to Egyptian director Hala Elkoussy’s allegorical tale “East of Noon” and Jaylan Auf’s drama “Inevitable Journey of a Wedding Dress” that is bowing from Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival.

African entries being showcased include two films that bowed in Toronto: “The Legend of the Vagabond: Queen of Lagos,...

Venice Prize Winner ‘Familiar Touch’, ‘ ‘Black Dog & ‘Eephus’ Set For Red Sea Fest

In the first film program announcement for its upcoming edition, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled the 12 titles in its Festival Favourites line-up. The sidebar celebrates films that have enjoyed a high-profile outing on the festival circuit in recent months such as Sarah Friedland’s Familiar Touch, which won the Luigi de Laurentiis prize for best first film at Venice, and Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Black Dog by Guan Hu. The other titles comprise Agora (Tunisia), East Of Noon (Egypt), Eephus (U.S.), Freedom Way (Nigeria), The Inevitable Journey To Find A Wedding Dress (Egypt), The Legend Of The Vagabond Queen Of Lagos, Little Jaffna (France), Quiet Life (Greece), Santosh (UK) and U Are The Universe (Ukraine). “This year’s selection continues to demonstrate our commitment to showcasing diverse...

The Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has picked 12 movies for its Festival Favorites selection of standouts from the fest circuit, including U.K. Oscar submission Santosh, an Indian police procedural about two women who form an unlikely alliance directed by Sandhya Suri; and Chinese auteur Guan Hu’s Black Dog, which won the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes.

Representing the U.S. in the lineup is Familiar Touch from director Sarah Friedland whose synopsis reads: “Arriving at an aged care facility, Ruth thinks she is in a fancy hotel on a date — with a man who is actually her son. Gradually, she reconciles herself to the life she has now.” The film had its world premiere in the Horizons lineup of the Venice Film Festival.

The Festival Favorites program also includes two films from Africa that played at the Toronto International Film Festival: The Legend...

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has selected an impressive programme of short films as part of its Saudi, Arab and International Shorts strands. The selected films reflect this year’s theme of home – exploring identity, memory and belonging, and will be screened at the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival which will run in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from December 5th – 14th 2024.

The Arab Shorts lineup reflects the rich tapestry of creativity in the region, and this year 15 shorts have been selected, featuring stories that traverse the cultural, social, and personal landscapes and talent from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Jordan, and Lebanon. The selected projects will be judged as part of the Yusr Awards, with the winners presented at the Festival’s awards ceremony.

The International Shorts strand highlights films from African and Asian filmmakers operating across the globe,...

It was just announced that Pablo Larrain‘s biopic “Maria,” about opera legend Maria Callas (played by Angelina Jolie), was acquired by Netflix for distribution, but it has now screened for journalists. It had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29. How good is it, though? The early reviews are pouring in from the Italian fest.

Based on the first 15 reviews counted by MetaCritic so far, the film has a “generally favorable” rating of 63. Eight of those reviews are classified as positive, while seven are somewhat mixed, though none are outright negative. But on Rotten Tomatoes, which considers reviews only as positive or negative, the film is 87% fresh based on 15 reviews, which means only two of them give the film a thumbs down. That disparity between scores suggests that most reviewers like the film, but some of those thumbs-up ratings might be a little ambivalent.

SEENetflix snares U.

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.

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:...

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.

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...

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...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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.

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 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...

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...

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,...

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...

Critics and cultural pundits have hailed Poor Things as a raunchy, shocking masterpiece and one of the best movies of Yorgos Lanthimos' career. Emma Stone's performance in the movie has been praised, with some suggesting she may be in contention for her second Best Actress Oscar. The movie is described as gleefully excessive, daringly outrageous, and filled with explicit sex and violence, making it a wild and eccentric experience.

The first reactions to Poor Things are hyping the movie as a potential masterpiece. The upcoming movie, which reteams The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos and star Emma Stone, is based on the 1992 Alasdair Gray novel of the same name. It's a Frankenstein-esque tale that follows a young woman named Bella (Stone) who is brought back to life with the brain of her unborn child and seeks to explore the world. The movie's cast also includes Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

“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...

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...

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.

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 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...