Taking place in Al Balad, Jeddah’s fittingly film set-worthy old district, this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) will represent over 80 countries – with a staggering 50% of the featured films having their world premieres. This highlights not only the festival’s international cachet within the film industry and its commitment to gold-standard visual storytelling, but also its importance as a platform for showcasing both Arab and global film talent.

This year’s theme, The New Home of Film, positions Al Balad as a vibrant hub for global filmmakers, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts – a place to exchange ideas, forge connections, and pursue bold storytelling ambitions. The festival’s industry market, Red Sea Souk, facilitates this dynamic with a packed programme of curated events, from screenings to industry panels and networking opportunities.

Running from 5 to 14 December, this year’s edition will draw in a spirited mix of locals, film buffs, and industry bigwigs for reinterpretations of old classics, retrospectives, blockbusters before they hit the big screen, and experimental shorts.

RSIFF celebrates the power of film to mine deep for emotion, communicate nuanced concepts, and give underrepresented people, communities, and stories a captive audience. There is always a palpable appreciation for talented scriptwriting, acting, directing, producing, and breathtaking cinematography, which, with this year’s roster of eminent filmmakers and premieres (as well as electric up-and-coming talent), is bound to reach fever pitch.

Spanning the resurgence of Egyptian independent cinema to talks with acclaimed actors, this year’s programme is a riot of culture and bold artistic expression.

Must Watch Films

Standouts within the International Spectacular lineup include Indian filmmaker Zoya Akhtar’s uplifting Superboys of Malegaon (the true-life story of an amateur filmmaker from small-town India), which will have its world premiere at the festival. Also featured is eight-time Grammy winner Anderson.Paak’s directorial debut K-Pops!, in which a washed-up musician rides the coattails of his son’s stardom in a bid to reclaim his own fame. This marks its first screening in the region.

Attendees can also look forward to Danny DeVito’s heartwarming A Sudden Case of Christmas, starring Andie MacDowell and set in the Italian Dolomites. Johnny Depp’s thrilling, biting release Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness explores the streets of first world war Paris, following Italian bohemian artist Amedeo Modigliani as he seeks a home for his art.

A few hotly anticipated additions to the International Spectacular section include Napoli-New York. This poignant tale is said to be based on an un-produced story by Federico Fellini. It follows two children who escape post-second world war poverty in Italy, stowing away on a boat bound for New York. 40 Acres by R.T. Thorne is a post-apocalyptic thriller starring Danielle Deadwyler. The film portrays a family of Canadian farmers who defend their homestead against cannibals. Maria by Pablo Larraín explores the life of world-famous opera singer Maria Callas, played by Angelina Jolie. Set in the 1970s, the film depicts Callas slowing down her career after a glamorous life on stage and in the public eye. Lastly, there's the Marvel superhero epic Kraven the Hunter by J.C. Chandor.

Thoukoub poster RSIFF Film Poster

RSIFF Film Poster 1

The Festival Favourites programme – which champions cultural diversity and the power of film to bring cross-cultural understanding – is particularly vibrant this year. Compelling pictures include Little Jaffna, chronicling the lives of the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Paris; Dreaming of Lions by Paolo Marinou-Blanco, where dark humour guides the story of a terminally ill woman seeking to end her suffering; and Taste the Revolution by Daniel Klein, a mock-umentary featuring Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali as a revolutionary leader challenging capitalism.

There are stellar performances from African cinema, notably Jean Luc Herbulot’s Zero, an action thriller set in Dakar, Senegal, where two Americans race to discover why they have woken up with bombs strapped to their chests. The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos portrays a woman fighting against corrupt authorities to prevent her and her community’s eviction from the shanty town she calls home.

Among an enthralling list of international films, talented Saudi filmmakers will have their well-deserved moment in the spotlight, with the festival’s programme including a remarkable 16 Saudi feature films and 26 shorts, a nod to the country’s booming film industry.

Notables include Holes by Abdulmohsen Adlhabaab where two brothers are forced to confront their past when their mother falls into a coma following a robbery, and the short When the Light Shines, taking viewers back some 30 years when HRH Prince Faisal bin Abdullah harnessed Saudi’s creative minds to showcase the nation’s heritage through art.

Noteworthy Voices

As part of the jam-packed four-day programme, festival-goers can look forward to talks and panel discussions from influential voices in filmmaking. As well as the opportunity to meet your favourite stars, these offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the world of filmmaking, with insider perspectives on prevailing industry topics from the artists and creators shaping the cinematic landscape. These include an In-Conversation with American actress and film producer Viola Davis – one of the few artists to achieve both the Triple Crown of Acting and the prestigious EGOT.

Mohammed Samy

Mona Zaki via ig

Celebrating Egypt’s rich cinematic legacy, Egyptian director and writer Mohamed Samy (best known for directing the television series Detention Letter, Regatta, and Tisbah ala Khair), will be discussing the fragile and incredibly important relationship between director and actor, as well as the role of heroes in these hit series. Honorary guest, Egyptian film legend Mona Zaki, (whose role in the 2024 hit Flight 404 broke Egyptian box office records for a female-led film), will take audiences through her illustrious career, spanning decades with 60 films and series. She’ll delve into the diverse characters she played, as well as the relationships forged with her co-stars and directors.

Lastly, with Turkish television’s enduring appeal across the Arab world, two of the country’s most celebrated TV stars, Engin Altan Düzyatan and Nurgül Yeşilçay, will be discussing the impact of Turkish series on Arab society, as well as their own career paths and strategies.

The Treasures programme revisits four beloved classics, including Michael Mann’s Heat, Hussein Fawzi’s Bread and Salt, Sherif Arafa’s Smile, the Photo Comes Out Better, and Ali Badrakhan’s Shafika and Metwali.

Competitions to Watch

Packed with superbly shot cinematography and scintillating scripts, the Red Sea Competition category’s standard this year is outstanding. From Xiaoxuan Jiang’s To Kill a Mongolian Horse (an enchanting portrait of a man desperately clinging on to his way of life as the walls close in) to Roya Sadat’s Sima’s Song (two women committed to women’s rights in Afghanistan), the spellbinding filming and compelling storytelling make it a competition to watch closely.

Why This Film Festival Matters

Whether attending as a film buff or an industry mover and shaker, RSIFF is a petri dish of exciting ideas, ground-breaking cinematography, superlative storytelling, and, of course, bestin-class entertainment. It’s where the great creative minds of the Arab world and beyond meet, and is, increasingly, an important platform for rising regional talent with Red Sea Souks, Red Sea Labs, and its fund.

Red Sea International Film Festival 2024,
From December 5 - 14,
Al Balad, Jeddah
@redseafilm redseafilmfest.com

Rosalyn Wikeley