Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival Forges Ahead Despite Israel-Hamas Conflict, Reveals First Batch of Mostly Arab Titles
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has announced the bulk of its lineup from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), signaling that the event is forging ahead with its third edition despite the Israel-Hamas war that has caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world.
The fest’s third edition, set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore, will feature a slew of films from the MENA region and comprise 11 feature films from Saudi, underlining the local film industry’s growth. This year’s theme is “Your Story, Your Festival”.
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There are two Saudi films in the 17-title competition dedicated to features from the Arab world as well as Africa and Asia. They are “Norah,” a drama by first-time helmer Tawfik Alzaidi set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height, and Ali Alkalthami’s bold comedy “Mandoob” about a distraught delivery app driver in Riyadh who becomes a bootleg alcohol dealer.
They will be vying for the Red Sea Fest’s top prizes alongside “Backstage,” a first feature about a touring dance troupe by Tunisian-Moroccan directorial duo Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane; British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s “The Teacher” (pictured), shot in the West Bank and starring Imogen Poots; Algerian director Karim Bensalah’s “Six Feet Over” about the son of an Algerian diplomat who decides to work for Muslim undertakers; and Iranian director Parviz Shahbazi’s “Roxana” about the romance between the film’s titular female artist and a young gambler, among other titles.
As previously announced, Baz Luhrmann will preside over the main jury.
The section’s 11-title Arab Spectacular sidebar will feature Swiss-Egyptian director Tamer Ruggli’s debut “Back to Alexandria” starring Fanny Ardant and Nadine Labaki as a mother and daughter; Iraqi director Yasir Al Yasiri’s fantasy film “HWJN”; and Saudi helmer Meshal Aljaser’s “Naga,” a satirical thriller set in the 1970s about a young Saudi woman who must overcome various obstacles to reach her home before the curfew set by her strict father. “Naga” world-premiered in Toronto.
The fest’s Special Screenings sidebar will comprise Franco Algerian actor/director Maïwenn’s Cannes opener “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp as Louis XV, that was partly financed by the Red Sea fund and Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters” that mixes documentary and fiction to tell the story of a Tunisian mother whose two elder daughters joined ISIS. “Four Daughters” is Tunisia’s submission for Best International film this year.
Skirting the issue of the Israel-Hamas conflict taking place several hundred miles away, Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, and the fest’s managing director Shivani Pandya Malhotra said in a statement: “We feel it is particularly timely to use the medium of film to look at what connects us, and to give a platform to the voices and experiences of people in our region and beyond to foster insight, understanding and compassion. We look forward to once again welcoming the global film community in Jeddah for our third edition.”
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