Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia Announces Line-Up; “The Tale of Daye’s Family” Opens the Event
The Red Sea International Film Festival, set to take place from December 5 to 14, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has unveiled its Competition line-up and announced that Karim Shenawi’s "The Tale of Daye’s Family" will serve as the opening film. This marks the fourth edition of the event, which continues to spotlight films from the MENA region and beyond.
"The Tale of Daye’s Family," a co-production between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, tells the poignant story of an 11-year-old Nubian albino boy navigating societal prejudice while pursuing his dream to audition for an Egyptian version of The Voice. Speaking at the festival’s press conference, managing director Shivani Pandya Malhotra described the selection as a reflection of growing regional partnerships, adding, “This co-production is fabulous for us.”
The Competition line-up includes 16 films, showcasing diverse narratives and an emphasis on female voices, with seven features directed by women. Highlights include Reema Kagti’s Indian comedy "Superboys of Malegaon," Roya Sadat’s Afghan drama "Sima’s Song," and Mahdi Fleifel’s Cannes-premiered "To A Land Unknown." Other notable entries include Xiaoxuan Jiang’s "To Kill a Mongolian Horse," exploring Mongolian cultural themes, and Kurdwin Ayub’s "Moon," a MENA premiere.
Three films will have their world premieres at the festival: Taghrid Abouelhassan’s Egyptian feature "Snow White," Mohamed Lakhdar Tati’s Algerian production "Bin U Bin, Border Elsewhere," and Saudi filmmaker Wael Abumansour’s "Saifi." The event will conclude with Michael Gracey’s Robbie Williams biopic "Better Man," which debuted at Telluride.
The festival’s new venue in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district underscores its commitment to heritage and innovation. Honorees for this edition include Egyptian actor Mona Zaki and Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis, further cementing the event’s international appeal.
The Red Sea Film Fund continues to back high-profile projects, including the awards night film, Johnny Depp’s "Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness." The festival also welcomes films from Asia this year, broadening its geographical focus.
The Competition entries are:
- "Superboys of Malegaon" (India) / Dir. Reema Kagti
- "Hanami" (Switz-Port-Cape Verde) / Dir. Denise Fernandes
- "To a Land Unknown" (UK-Pal-Fr-Gr-Neth-Ger-Qatar-Saudi) / Dir. Mahdi Fleifel
- "Moon" (Austria-Jordan) / Dir. Kurdwin Ayub
- "Songs of Adam" (Iraq-Neth-Saudi-US) / Dir. Oday Rasheed
- "Red Path" (Tun-Fr-Bel-Pol-Saudi-Qatar) / Dir. Lotfi Achour
- "Snow White" (Egypt) / Dir. Taghrid Abouelhassan
- "Bin U Bin, Border Elsewhere" (Algeria-France) / Dir. Mohamed Lakhdar Tati
- "Saifi" (Saudi Arabia) / Dir. Wael Abumansour
- "Aïcha" (Tun-Fr-It-Saudi-Qatar) / Dir. Mehdi M. Barsaoui
- "Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo" (Egypt-Saudi) / Dir. Khaled Mansour
- "Sima’s Song" (Netherlands-France-Spain-Taiwan) / Dir. Roya Sadat
- "6 in the Morning" (Iran-Turkey) / Dir. Mehran Modiri
- "To Kill a Mongolian Horse" (Malaysia-HK-US-S.Korea-Japan-Thailand) / Dir. Xiaoxuan Jiang
- "Saba" (Bangladesh) / Dir. Maksud Hossain
- "My Friend An Demie" (China) / Dir. Zijan Dong