Red Sea International Film Festival Unveils 2023 Logo and Film List

The Red Sea International Film Festival, which will be held on time, according to what close sources confirmed to Alyoum8th. From November 30 to December 9, the list of Saudi films as well as the other films selected for this year's festival, as well as films that fall under the categories of "Arabian Masterpieces" and "Red Sea Competition", under the slogan "Your Story, Your Festival". These films, including the documentaries and narratives screened by The Red Sea Film Foundation, will reflect the excellence and diversity of veteran and promising filmmakers from the region.

The Red Sea Film Festival celebrates the film industry on a global scale while highlighting films produced in the MENA region, with this year's selection of 36 feature and short films from Saudi Arabia.

The selected films present a variety of international works produced by new international talent, such as the historic romantic film Jean de Barry – directed by Maywin and starring Johnny Depp – with the support of the Red Sea Fund, which was the opening film of the Cannes Film Festival.

Among the Oscar nominees selected for their films at the Red Sea International Film Festival are Kaouther Ben Hania for Banat Olfa (Arab Masterpieces), Amjad Al Rasheed (hopefully Weld) drama film Red Sea Competition, Dirar Khan with his first horror film in Flames, Amanda Neil Io (Tiger Lines) and Balouji (Omen of Doom).

The Arab Masterpieces category will present 11 films characterized by the diversity of inspiring themes and the multiplicity of their genres, including "Wahashtini", the first film directed by Tamer Raghaly, starring Nadine Labaki and Fanny Ardant, which tells the story of a woman trying to reconcile with her mother, and director Yasser Al-Yasiri comes with the film "Hawjan" starring Baraa Alam and Nour Al-Khadra. Director Meshal Al-Jasser presents the comedy suspense film "Camel", which tells the story of a teenage girl who gets lost in the desert to become a hateful camel, while director Fares Quds presents "Dreams of the Age", which revolves around a famous and retired footballer who has lost his reputation, and finds himself forced to cooperate with his daughter to regain his glory by using social media.

The Red Sea Competition will screen 17 diverse films, including fiction, documentaries and animations from across Asia, Africa and the Arab world, showcasing innovative talent in the film and storytelling industry, and will be awarded by an international jury chaired by renowned filmmaker Buzz Luhrmann.

Tawfik Zaidi's Nora, the first film to be shot entirely in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, will be screened alongside backstage, directed by Afaf Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane, who tackle the thrilling events behind the scenes of a traveling dance troupe. Director Farah Nabulsi will also present her critically acclaimed film "The Professor", which was filmed in the West Bank and starred by Saleh Bakri, in addition to "Above the Mausoleum" directed by Karim Bensalah, which tells the story of an Algerian student who decides to work for a funeral home, and "Roxana" from Iran, directed by Parviz Shahbazi, which tells the story of a man trying to develop himself for love.

Mohammed Alturki, CEO of The Red Sea Foundation, said: "This year's theme 'Your Story, Your Festival' is inspired by the fantastic selection of films produced in the region – bringing together the most prominent new experts and filmmakers who are a living example of the wealth of talent being presented in this part of the world, and we see it as important to show them in their entirety. We believe that it is time to see films as a vehicle for connectivity and dialogue, and to provide a platform for the voices of people in the region and beyond to share their experiences that will contribute to enhanced human understanding and compassion, and we look forward to welcoming once again the global film community to Jeddah for our third edition."