Play all audios:
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_. WATCH ON DEADLINE Kaleem
Aftab, Director of International Programming for the fest, says, “Telling stories from fresh perspectives, the Red Sea Competition is both a celebration of the continued success of
established filmmakers and exciting new work coming from emerging talent. The selection of films speaks to the continued strength of filmmaking, as well as pointing to where the future of
the industry is headed.” Alongside the Red Sea Competition, Red Carpet Galas and Special Presentations, the festival will host a range of cinema in the following sections: Festival
Favourites, New Saudi/New Cinema, Red Sea Treasures, Red Sea Arab and International Spectacular, Red Sea Next Generation, Red Sea Immersive and Red Sea Episodic. The Festival will be
celebrating women and will honor Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour and Egyptian actress Laila Eloui. Veteran Egyptian actress and singer Yousra will also deliver a masterclass while
Catherine Deneuve is due to join the festival celebrations. Discussions providing insight into their careers will be held by Haifaa Al-Mansour, Tunisian actress Hend Sabry and
Franco-Argentinian director Gaspar Noé. The festival will further honor former French Culture Minister Jack Lang who is President of Paris’ Institut du Monde Arabe. Among other films in the
fest are Maggie Gyllenhaal’s _The Lost Daughter_ and Nabil Ayouch’s _Casablanca Beats_ which premiered in Cannes. The International Spectacular double gala presentation begins with
Academy-Award winner Giuseppe Tornatore’s latest, _Ennio_, and Ana Lily Amirpour’s fantasy thriller _Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon_. The Red Sea Souk, the festival’s industry market, will
offer a program of curated events to foster co-production, international distribution, and new business opportunities. It will run from December 8-11, alongside the festival and features a
masterclass with Chilean editor Andrea Chignoli and a panel with Palestinian filmmakers Hany Abu-Assad, Annemarie Jacir and Rashid Masharawi. The Souk will also showcase over 20 local and
regional exhibiting companies including, buyers, sales agents, film commissions, distributors, and exhibitors. Immediately following the Souk, the festival will hold Talent Days, a two-day
initiative designed to support the development of the next generation of Saudi filmmakers. Mohammed Al-Turki, RedSeaIFF’s Chairman of the Committee says, “This is truly a landmark moment as
we launch our first international Film Festival to celebrate original cinematic voices and showcase an extensive selection of films from around the world to local, regional and international
audiences. The Festival will also serve as a launchpad for young Saudi and Arab talent, support the development of our flourishing industry, introduce international Festival guests to our
vibrant creative scene and bring together the global film industry to network, share knowledge and forge partnerships. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Jeddah for a packed programme
of screenings, events and much more.” You can check out our deep dive interview with Red Sea Managing Director Shivani Pandya Malhotra here. Here’s the list of films announced today: RED SEA
COMPETITION Communion, dir: Nejib Belkadhi Paka (River Of Blood), dir: Nithin Lukose Huda’s Salon, dir: Hany Abu-Assad Soula, dir: Salah Issaad Europa, dir: Haider Rashid Brighton 4th, dir:
Levan Koguashvili Yuni, dir: Kamila Andini Saloum, dir: Jean Luc Herbulot Rupture, dir: Hamzah Jamjoom Rehana Maryam Noor, dir: Abdullah Mohammad Saad Hit The Road, dir: Panah Panahi Life
Suits Me Well, dir: Al Hadi Ulad-Mohand Neighbours, dir: Mano Khalil Farha, dir: Darin J Sallam Sharaf, dir: Samir Nasr The Alleys, dir: Bassel Ghandour RED SEA SHORT COMPETITION Carnivorous
Bean Sprout, dir: Sae-Rom Seo Anxious Body, dir: Yoriko Mizushiri Seeking Aline, dir: Rokhaya Marieme Balde New Abnormal, dir: Sorayos Prapapan Astel, dir: Ramata-Soulaye Sy All The Crows
In The World, dir: Yi Tang I Am Innocent, dir: Malak Quota Number 26, dir: Gvantsa Meparishvili Children’s Game, dir: Rim Mejdi By The Sea, dir: Wissam Jafar Space Woman, dir: Hadi Mousally
From The Mountain, dir: Faisal Attrache Last Day Of Sun, dir: Kays Mejri Lovesick In The West Bank; dir: Said Zagha The Pyramid, dir: Mohamed Ghazala Zawal, dir: Mujtaba Saeed What Remained,
dir: Rogina Bassaly Tala’vision, dir: Murad Abu Eisheh