City Jeddah Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Iraqi filmmaker Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji picked up the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film at the Red Sea Film Festival with his debut feature Hanging Gardens.

Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Development Fund is poised to launch a new $233m ($879m Saudi Riyal) film industry financing program in the first quarter of 2023, which will be open to both local and international entities.

Saudi Arabian actress Ahd Kamel’s long gestated feature directorial debut My Driver And I is a step closer to coming to fruition, following the arrival of fresh partners on the project.

Director, screenwriter and producer Fatih Akin passed through the Red Sea film festival Monday where he discussed his career and what he described as the unique experience of straddling Turkish and German culture in his films.

All eyes are on Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning film industry as the second edition of its Red Sea International Film Festival continues to unfold this week in the port city of Jeddah, running from December 1 to 10.

As Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival kicks into gear in Jeddah, a parallel film program is underway 300 miles north in the small desert town of AlUla.

Spike Lee is at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival in the port city of Jeddah this weekend to present a screening of his Oscar-nominated 1992 epic biopic Malcolm X and participate in an In-Conversation event.

Saudi Arabia’s emerging fashion design labels have been making their red carpet world premiere over the past few days at the Red Sea International Film Festival, running December 1-10 in the port city of Jeddah.

Olive Stone voiced support for Saudi Arabia at the opening on Thursday of the second edition of country’s Red Sea International Film Festival, which he is attending as president of the international jury.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled a star-studded In-Conversations program as the second edition gets underway in the port city of Jeddah today.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (December 1 to 10) kicks off its second edition in the port city of Jeddah this week.

Ruben Östlund Appointed Honorary President of Göteborg Film FestivalRuben Östlund has been appointed as the new Honorary President of Göteborg Film Festival. Östlund will be an advisor for the festival, starting with the upcoming 2023 edition. The board of Göteborg Film Festival appoints the Honorary President for five years, at which point it will be renewed or concluded. In a statement, Östlund described his decision to accept the honorary role as “easy and a joyful.” Past presidents include Ingmar Bergman and Roy Andersson. Östlund will speak at the opening ceremony of the 2023 edition. Jonas Holmberg, Artistic Director at Göteborg Film Festival, said: “With two Palme d’Or wins and many unforgettable cinematic moments, the Gothenburg-born and loyal visitor of the festival Ruben Östlund has the artistic integrity, the intellectual playfulness, and the international luminescence that make him an excellent Honorary President for Göteborg Film Festival.”

Aditya Chopra’s 1995 hit Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), starring Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol (Kajol Devgan), will kick off the public screenings of Saudi Arabia’s upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival, running December 1-10 in the port city of Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has announced that renowned Indian actor and producer Shah Rukh Khan will receive an honorary award at its upcoming second edition running December 1-10.

Saudi Arabia film and digital content production and finance company Telfaz11 celebrated its 11th anniversary on Friday by announcing the start of shoot for its 11th feature film, Night Courier by Ali Al Kalthami.

Guy Ritchie To Receive Honorary Award At Red Sea Film FestivalGuy Ritchie is to receive an Honorary Award at this year’s Red Sea Film Festival. During the Festival (Dec 1—10), Ritchie will also take part in an ‘In Conversation’ event where he will talk through his cinematic career. Mohammed Al Turki, CEO of the RedSeaIFF, said: “Guy Ritchie is a pioneering director and unique storyteller. Over the last 20 years, he has created a huge variety of unforgettable characters featuring original and intricate plots on the big screen. We are delighted to honor his extraordinary talents at the Festival and look forward to welcoming him to Jeddah this December.”

Oliver Stone will preside over the main competition jury of the second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, honoring a promise to attend in that role dating back to 2020.

President Biden and Democratic lawmakers doubled down on the importance of hostile actors boosting oil output Wednesday after a decision from a Saudi-led group to cut production. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the powerful Middle Eastern oil cartel, and its Russian counterpart announced a massive production cut of 2 million barrels of oil per day, the largest reduction since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton received an apology from team prinicipal Toto Wolff after a strategy error robbed the Briton of a first race victory of the season at the Dutch Grand Prix. The seven-time champion unleashed a tirade of expletives at his team after being passed by Max Verstappen, and then team-mate George Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, following the safety car restart before coming home in fourth. Hamilton's race engineer Peter Bennington apologised to Hamilton for the events that led to the Briton coming home in fourth place and promised to review the incidents later in the day.

Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited rematch against Oleksandr Usyk takes place this evening with the British heavyweight out to reclaim his titles.

With Anthony Joshua hoping to avenge his September defeat by Oleksandry Usyk in their rematch later this month, David Haye has said that Joshua must bring more physicality to the point where he may risk disqualification.

Joe Biden pushed back against criticism of his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, telling reporters that he raised the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi “at the top” of their meeting.

We now finally have a date to look forward to with the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk now having been confirmed to be taking place in August with Saudi Arabia as the venue for the mammoth heavyweight clash.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAnthology film “Quareer,” by five young female Saudi directors, has emerged as the big winner at the eighth edition of the Saudi Film Festival, which is the country’s oldest film event. “Quareer” consists of five segments depicting women taking risks to carve out their own spaces, and explores themes of abandonment, neglect, control, abuse and shame in Saudi’s now changing conservative society. The film scored five prizes in total at the festival, including the Golden Palm Tree for best film and the prize for best director(s), which collectively went to filmmakers Ragheed Al Nahdi, Norah Almowald, Ruba Khafagy, Fatma Alhazmi and Noor Alameer.Additionally, “Quareer,” which had premiered last December at Saudi’s Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, also scored awards for best cinematography, best script and best score.

Saudi Arabia has taken another step in its push to become a movie production hub by launching its long-awaited 40% cash rebate to grow the local economy.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentLola Arabia and Dubai’s Charisma Group are readying Agustí Villaronga’s “Arabian Aroma” and Pau Miró’s “Lost Symphony,” the first two titles in a 12-pic production alliance unveiled during the Berlin. FestivalBoth movies are in pre-production, budgeted around $6 million and feature women “who passionately set themselves on a mission,” the partners announced.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentSaudi Arabian filmmaker, actress and activist Fatima Al-Banawi (“Barakah Meets Barakah”) is set to make her feature film directorial debut with “Basma,” a bold drama that will tackle the theme of mental illness in her country.The pic, which she also wrote, is set to start shooting in Jeddah in October.Besides writing and directing “Basma,” Al Banawi will be its titular star, playing the 26-year-old daughter of a man who suffers from paranoid delusions. Upon returning from the U.S.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentVox Cinemas, the highest-grossing exhibitor in West Asia, where it operates more than 600 screens, will focus on diversification next, while also continuing its geographical expansion plan, says Ignace Lahoud, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure (MAF), Entertainment and Cinemas, which operates Vox.“In the last two or three years, most of our growth has been focused on building and opening cinemas in Saudi Arabia. We intend to continue expanding there, although probably not at the same pace.”Several analysts, including PwC, see Saudi as becoming a billion-dollar movie market.Variety is honoring Vox with its Achievement in Intl.

Sergio Perez will start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on pole position but it was Lewis Hamilton’s shock exit in Q1 and Mick Schumacher’s horror crash that will dominate headlines. As darkness fell and the lights lit up the Jeddah Corniche Circuit one of the big question ahead of qualifying was would Mercedes make it through to Q3. Hamilton didn’t even make it out of Q1.

Lewis Hamilton and Alex Albon narrowly avoided a scary crash during Friday's second practice session ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Albon only returned to F1 at the start of the season after being dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2020. Mercedes' Hamilton struggled during the first practice session on Friday and could only clock the ninth fastest time.

Jamie Lang The Red Sea Film Festival has announced that its second edition will run Dec. 1-10 this year, after its 2021 inaugural event saw nearly 140 films from 67 countries in 34 languages screen for more than 30,000 ticket holders and over 3,100 accredited industry guests.

Anna Marie de la Fuente International sales, distribution and production company Axxon Media has picked up a troika of films ahead of Berlinale. Leading the pack is Askar Uzabayev’s “Happiness” (“Bakhyt”) from Kazakhstan, which world premieres in the festival’s Panorama section.Making its market debut at the EFM is Algeria-set “Soula,” written and directed by Salah Issaad, a contender at the Red Sea Festival in Jeddah last December.The third film is Amalric Gérard’s French burlesque comedy “Public Enemy No.

Afternoon all, it’s nearly Xmas but we’re not slowing down. Here’s Max Goldbart with your weekly dose of international news and analysis from the International Insider. To get this sent to your inbox every Friday, sign up here.

Saudi Arabia’s nascent film industry is in the spotlight this week thanks to the inaugural edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, which runs until December 15.

I’m more than halfway into my stay in Saudi Arabia for the Red Sea International Film Festival and what is becoming more apparent with each day that passes is that what this first-time event lacks in experience and organization, it makes up for in ambition.

Mega-budget epic Desert Warrior, starring Anthony Mackie and Aiysha Hart, has been a big talking point here in Jeddah this week as it nears wrapping production in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk. The $150M 7th Century-set action title marks not only the biggest production to shoot in the KSA since it lifted its ban on cinemas four years ago but it also represents a major collaboration between creative and financial models in the region and Hollywood talent.