The Red Sea International Film Festival is getting ready to open its much-awaited fourth session in the centre of historic Jeddah, where the city’s old architecture mixes with the Red Sea’s winds.
This historic city will become a gathering spot for filmmakers and film enthusiasts from December 5 to December 14, 2024, ushering in ten days of inventiveness and inspiration.
As a result, we are all excited to see what the festival’s fourth session will deliver in the way of noteworthy films, talented performers, and filmmakers.
This significant film festival honours artistic talent from the Middle East and North Africa. Within this framework, it highlights several visually appealing films and artists from these regions who work in a variety of media, including actors, writers, and directors.
Additionally, it welcomes up-and-coming artists by showcasing their work on its large screen.
Competitive Environment
The Red Sea International Film Festival is famous for its competitive environment because it hosts competitions like the Red Sea Competition and the Red Sea Short Film Competition, which accept entries for feature films and documentaries directed by Asian and African filmmakers and have a maximum running time of 60 minutes.
Noting that it culminates with the awarding of the Al Yusr Awards, which are given out by an international jury presided over by renowned filmmaker Baz Luhrmann the previous year, this competition serves as a platform for introducing future generations of artists to the public.
In addition, as part of the New Saudi Cinema programme, Saudi feature films and documentaries will be screened, and among the world’s greatest works will be excerpts from upcoming projects throughout the globe.
It also features Arab masterpieces, worldwide selections, Treasures of the Red Sea, Family Cinema, Visions of the Red Sea, and the Red Sea series.
An International Photography Hotspot
With the influx of numerous established and upcoming creatives in the NEOM area, the Kingdom has quickly become a popular spot for photographers to capture both domestic and foreign subjects.
Among these creations, we highlight “Among the Sands,” a film that had its premiere at the festival and took home the Special Jury Prize in 2022.
This film is the first produced in collaboration with a Saudi team and with full logistical backing from NEOM’s media production sector. It is presently playing in cinemas around the Kingdom.
According to experts, Mohamed Al-Atawi signed the film as the director and author, which represents a turning point in the history of the local film industry.
It is worth noting that the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2023 had 1,254 films from 75 different nations.
