Red Sea Film Festival Begins; Hollywood Stars Head to Saudi Arabia

The third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival opened in Saudi Arabia with the presence of Hollywood, Bollywood, and Middle Eastern stars. According to Variety, at the opening ceremony in Jeddah, celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Sharon Stone, Baz Luhrmann, and Ranveer Singh walked the red carpet and interacted with their fans. More stars are expected to appear on the red carpet during the festival as films are screened. Johnny Depp is participating in the festival with the film 'Jean du Barry,' in which he plays Louis XV, who falls in love with a young woman from the working class in France. Depp has a close relationship with the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, which is also the investor for his next film titled 'Modi,' about a prominent Italian painter and sculptor that Depp will direct himself. In recent weeks, several film festivals in Arab countries were canceled due to the Israel-Hamas war, but this conflict did not affect the Red Sea Festival's plans. The opening ceremony took place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Jeddah, and the theme of the festival is 'Your Story, Your Festival.' Notable attendees included Sofia Vergara, Amina Khalil, Freida Pinto, Paz Vega, Amy Jackson, Nadine Nassib Njeim, Meryem Uzerli, and Iranian model Mahlaqa Jabari. Eight films from Saudi Arabia will be screened in the main sections, with two films competing in the main competition. The film 'Roxana' by Iranian filmmaker Parviz Shahbazi is also participating in this section. 'The Suitcase' by Saman Hosseinpour and Ako Zandkarimi, a co-production between Iran and the USA, and 'Titanic: The Family-Friendly Version for Iranian Families' by Farnoush Samadi, a co-production between Iran and France, will compete in the short film category. According to Variety, Jumana Rashed, head of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, stated at the opening ceremony, 'Tonight we are proud to be in the presence of prominent stars, not only from Saudi Arabia but from Africa, Asia, and around the world.' She mentioned that since its establishment in 2021, the foundation has financially supported the production of 250 films, with eight films participating in this year's Cannes festival. Jumana Rashed noted that the film market in Saudi Arabia has flourished after the end of the issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and by 2030, box office revenues are expected to reach one billion dollars. According to Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea Film Company, the film industry in Saudi Arabia is becoming a significant force with the highest sales in the Middle East. Baz Luhrmann, the head of the jury, described the existence of such culture and enthusiasm for cinema in the country as 'exciting,' noting that it has only been five years since the lifting of the religious ban on film screenings in Saudi Arabia. He expressed eagerness to see the works of young artists and 'notable' storytelling in the region. The third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will take place from November 30 to December 9 in Jeddah on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia is also working to attract major film companies by investing in various parts of the country and providing significant facilities for film production. 'Kandahar,' a Hollywood film starring Gerard Butler, was recently filmed in the historic region of Al-Ula in the country and had a successful release. Navid Negahban, an Iranian-American artist who starred in 'Kandahar,' shared his experience of traveling to Saudi Arabia with VOA Persian, stating, 'Filming in Jeddah and Al-Ula was an incredible experience, and the local people were very warm and welcoming.' Another Iranian actress from the film, Elnaz Norouzi, also told VOA Persian that 'Al-Ula is very beautiful, and the experience of traveling and filming in this area was amazing for me and all the crew members.'