Red Sea International Film Festival

Red Sea International Film Festival
مهرجان البحر الأحمر السينمائي الدولي
LocationArbaeen lagoon, Al Madinah Al Munawarah Road, old town Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Founded2019
Most recent2025
AwardsThe Yusr Awards
Film titles138 from 67 countries
Hosted byRed Sea Film Festival Foundation
Festival dateOpening: 4 December 2025 (2025-12-04)
Closing: 13 December 2025 (2025-12-13)
LanguageArabic
English
WebsiteRSFF

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Arabic: مهرجان البحر الأحمر السينمائي الدولي) is a film festival launched in 2019 and held in Jeddah, the port city in western Saudi Arabia.[1][2] The festival mainly focuses on new storytelling trends, as well as emerging talents from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and the rest of the world.[3]

The festival’s fifth edition in 2025 will take place from December 4 to 13 at Jeddah’s historic Al Balad district.[4]

History

The Red Sea International Film Festival was established in 2019, as a plan to revive Saudi cinema. Originally scheduled to launch in March 2020, it was cancelled due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. It inaugurated its first edition in November 2021, with the selection of Joe Wright's Cyrano.

Organization

The festival is organized and operated by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, a non-profit cultural organization registered in Saudi Arabia.[3][1] The Foundation is chaired by Jomana Alrashid; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Saudi Research and Media Group – SRMG.[5]

Celebrities

The festival is known for drawing a wide list of A-list Hollywood celebrities, with Variety reporting that in 2023 Will Smith and Gwyneth Paltrow were paid $1 million or more to make an appearance.[6][7]

Festivals

2021 edition

The first edition of the festival opened on 6 December 2021 with Joe Wright's Cyrano at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 138 films from 67 countries were screened at the festival, which included 16 films in competition section.[8] It closed on 15 December with the world premiere of Kabir Khan's film 83.[9] The event came after several boycott calls by the critics, who warned that the Saudi authorities were attempting to divert the international attention from the country's poor human rights records. The Kingdom was being accused of using culture to whitewash its image at a global level. One of the critics said that without freedom of speech, the festival descended into propaganda.[10]

Red Sea Competition
Winners[11]
Best Film
  • Best Film: Brighton 4th by Levan Koguashvili – Georgia, Russia, Bulgaria, USA, Monaco.
Best Director
  • Best Director: Europa by Haider Rashid – Iraq, Italy, Kuwait
  • Jury Prize: Hit the Road by Panah Panahi – Iran
  • Best Actor: Adam Ali for Europa – Iraq, Italy, Kuwait
  • Best Actress: Arawinda Kirana for Yuni – Indonesia, Singapore, France, Australia
  • Best Saudi Film: Rupture by Hamzah K. Jamjoom – Saudi Arabia
  • Audience Award: You Resemble Me by Dina Amer – Egypt, France, U.S.
  • Immersive Silver Yusr: Samsara by Hsin-Chien Huang – Taiwan
  • Immersive Gold Yusr: End of Night by David Adler – Denmark, France
  • Short Competition Golden Yusr: Tala’Vision by Murad Abu Eisheh – Jordan, Germany
  • Special Mention: Farha by Darin J. Sallam – Jordan
  • Best Cinematic Contribution: Amin Jafari for Hit the Road – Iran
  • Best Screenplay: Neighbours by Mano Khalil – Syria, Switzerland

2024 editition

Spike Lee served as Jury President.[12] Notable attendees included Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeremy Renner, Michael Douglas, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hala Elkoussy, Sarah Friedland, Kathleen Chalfant, Lawrence Valin and R.T. Thorne.[13]

2025 edition

The 5th edition of the festival is taking place from 4 to 13 December in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It will screen 100+ films around 70 countries. 2025 biographical sports drama film Giant of the boxer Prince Naseem Hamed by Rowan Athale was the opening film of the festival.[14] Sean Baker is serving as Jury President.[15]

French actress Juliette Binoche, French film director and producer Rachid Bouchareb, English actor Michael Caine Hong Kong film director, producer, stunt choreographer, screenwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist Stanley Tong and American actress Sigourney Weaver were recognised for their contributions to cinema throughout their careers.[16] The Golden Globes awarded Indian actress Alia Bhatt the Golden Globes Horizon Award and Tunisian actress Hend Sabry the Omar Sharif Award for their contributions to international cinema.[17]

Award winners

The following are award winners of this edition:[18]

Red Sea: Competition

Red Sea: Shorts Competition

  • Golden Yusr Best Short Film: Coyotes - Said Zagha
  • Silver Yusr Short Film: Empty Lands - Karim Eldin Elalfy
  • Short Special Mention: JEMM 1983 - Jorj Abou Mhaya

Other awards

  • Al Sharq Best Documentary Award: In-I: In Motion - Juliette Binoche
  • AlUla Audience Award: Saudi Film – Hijra – Shahad Ameen
  • AlUla Audience Award: – Non-Saudi Film, My Father's Scent – Mohamed Siam

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Red Sea International Film Festival: Saudi Arabia announces new Jeddah event". The National. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Jeddah to host International Red Sea Film Festival in 2020". Saudigazette. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b "By 2020, Jeddah Is Planning To Host the First-Ever International Red Sea Film Festival". About Her. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Red Sea International Film Festival Sets Dates for 2025 Edition". spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  5. ^ GOODFELLOW, Melanie. "Saudi Arabia launches Red Sea International Film Festival". Screen. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  6. ^ Critic, Kevin Maher, Chief Film (11 December 2025). "The Hollywood A-list and the problem with Saudi's Red Sea Film Festival". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 12 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (13 December 2023). "Will Smith Got Paid $1 Million, Gwyneth Paltrow Even More to Heat up Saudi-Hollywood Relations at Red Sea Fest". Variety. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  8. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (9 November 2021). "Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival Sets Inaugural Lineup; Joe Wright's 'Cyrano' Opens, Netflix's 'The Lost Daughter' Among Program – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  9. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (29 November 2021). "Ranveer Singh's '83' to Close Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  10. ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma (11 December 2021). "Saudi film festival is a 'whitewash' by authorities, say critics". The Observer. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  11. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (13 December 2021). "Saudi Arabia's Inaugural Red Sea Film Festival Gives Top Awards to 'Brighton 4th,' 'Rupture'". Variety. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  12. ^ Rosser, Michael. "Spike Lee to head jury of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea film festival". Screen. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  13. ^ Szalai, Georg (18 December 2024). "The Red Sea Film Fest Roundtable in Saudi Arabia With Spike Lee: "We Are Witnessing a Big Change"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  14. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (4 November 2025). "Prince Naseem Boxing Biopic 'Giant' To Open Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival As 2025 Lineup Unveiled". Deadline. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  15. ^ Rahman, Abid (13 November 2025). "Sean Baker to Head Jury at Red Sea International Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  16. ^ Rahman, Abid (4 December 2025). "Red Sea: Michael Caine, Adrien Brody, Vin Diesel, Jessica Alba and Uma Thurman Spotted in Saudi Arabia as Fest Kicks Off With 'Giant'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  17. ^ Leo Barraclough (10 December 2025). "Golden Globes Honors Hend Sabry, Alia Bhatt at Red Sea Film Festival". Variety. Archived from the original on 11 December 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  18. ^ Salwa, Ola (12 December 2025). "Lost Land and All That's Left of You triumph at the fifth Red Sea International Film Festival". Cineuropa. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
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