This week sees the launch of the fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, welcoming a host of Hollywood stars to historic Jeddah.
The festival, which runs from Thursday until December 13, will screen more than 100 films from around 70 countries.
Set in the magical city of Jeddah, a UNESCO-listed heritage site, it has previously been graced by celebrity guests including Johnny Depp, Michelle Yeoh, Emily Blunt, Will Smith and Sharon Stone.
In just a few years, the festival has created a new niche in the movie calendar alongside the likes of Cannes and Venice.
The 2025 edition will bring together new worlds from the Middle East, Africa and Asia, as well as an intriguing program of European and US films.
It’s the first festival under the guidance of new CEO Faisal Baltyuor, the dynamic producer and creative director who is widely seen as the driving force behind the renaissance in his home country’s cinema.
In a remarkably short time, Baltyuor says, the Red Sea Film Foundation ‘has secured its place on the global festival map, and we are committed to building on this success.’
He added: ‘Through our diverse programs, we will continue to support a thriving film industry both locally and internationally, in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030, which places the creative sector at the heart of national development.’
Gathering of some of Hollywood’s biggest names: This year’s Red Sea International Film Festival is expected to attract top talent (pictured: Michelle Yeoh at last year’s Festival)
Guiding force: Faisal Baltyuor is the new CEO
The festival opens with the regional premiere of Giant, Rowan Athale’s biographical drama about British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed, starring Amir El-Masry and Pierce Brosnan.
The 16-film competition lineup explores what Director of International Programs Fionnuala Halligan identifies as a central theme: being lost and found.
The theme runs through films ranging from Barni, Mohammed Sheikh’s debut feature about a nine-year-old girl who disappears after a wedding celebration in a Somali village, to Lost Land by Akio Fujimoto, the first-ever Rohingya-language drama.
Director of Arab Programs Antoine Khalife describes the lineup as reshaping collective narratives by telling stories of resilience, migration, identity, and transformation.
The competition showcases Saudi Arabia’s Oscar submission Hijra by Shahad Ameen, which follows a grandmother and granddaughters on a spiritual journey to Mecca during Hajj.
Another powerful entry, Zain Duraie’s Sink, examines motherhood and mental health.
South Korean cinema has become a global movie and TV powerhouse in recent years – and this year, the festival welcomes its first Korean entry, The World of Love by Yoon Ga-Eun.
Films from China, Tajikistan, Kenya, and across the Middle East are alongside seven films which received support from the Red Sea Film Foundation’s ecosystem.
The Festival opens with Giant, Rowan Athale’s biographical drama about British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed, starring Amir El-Masry and Pierce Brosnan
Like the late Robert Redford’s Sundance project, the RSIFF is not just about the red carpet glitz and gongs – it has a serious mission to showcase talent from countries where filmmaking has struggled to gain a foothold.
That includes Saudi Arabia itself, where public cinemas weren’t permitted for decades. That changed in 2018. Since then, a new wave of talent has produced a run of standout successes and collaborations with some of the biggest names in streaming.
The festival also offers the chance to see some intriguing movies featuring some very familiar faces.
Alice Winocour’s Couture marks Angelina Jolie’s return to a starring role. Olivier Assayas’s The Wizard of the Kremlin features Jude Law in a role no-one could have predicted – as Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
That choice shows how the festival program is not shying away from the tragedies and conflicts dominating the world in 2025.
Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab, described as a harrowing hybrid of documentary and drama, is about a six-year-old Palestinian girl.
Baltyuor notes these special screenings embody the festival’s spirit by giving space to films that transcend artistic boundaries to explore deeply human stories.
One offbeat human story to get tongues wagging in football-mad Saudi is Saipan, about the notorious bust-up between Ireland manager Mick McCartty and star player Roy Kean at the 2002 World Cup.
Stars in Jeddah: (L-R) Sam Sarkar, Stephen Deuters, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jason Forman, Johnny Depp, Vivi Stone, Stephen Malit at the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival
Thriller feature SIRÂT, directed by Oliver Laxe, and Coming of age drama Barni, directed by Mohammed Sheikh, are highlights of this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival
The festival’s panel discussion program offers a platform for prominent actors and directors to share professional experiences and creative journeys. Featured guests include opening film star Amir El-Masry, director Kaouther Ben Hania discussing her documentary approach, Egyptian screen icon Lebleba, and Saudi actor Yaqoub Alfarhan.
Director Spike Lee and actors Eva Longoria and Gwyeth Paltrow have featured in past ‘in conversation’ slots.
Now in its fifth year, the festival forms part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and position Jeddah as a cultural hub.
Halligan emphasized the festival’s commitment to placing women at the heart of its operations.
The most in-demand tickets are again expected to be the Festival Favorites – the most well-received movies from the 2025 circuits.
Faisal Baltyuor said ‘The ‘Festival Favorites’ program represents the culmination of an exceptional cinematic year, bringing together twelve films that have shone at major international festivals.
‘Each title has been carefully curated by our team to offer audiences in the heart of historic Jeddah a remarkable window into world cinema — reaffirming our belief in the Festival’s role as a bridge between East and West, and in presenting cinematic experiences that enrich the cultural landscape and strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading destination for film,’ he said.
For more information about the Red Sea International Film Festival click here
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