Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival Forges Ahead Despite Israel-Hamas Conflict, Reveals First Batch of Mostly Arab Titles

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Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The Marrakech Film Festival’s 20th edition kicks off on Friday with Richard Linklater’s action comedy “Hit Man” as its gala opening, Mads Mikkelsen being feted, and a rich roster of stars and top talents supporting a panoply of cinema from the African continent and the Arab world. The event will run Nov. 24-Dec.

Garry Keane and Stephen Gerard Kelly’s documentary In The Shadow Of Beirut, which is Ireland’s Oscar category this year, is headed to the Red Sea International Film Festival, running November 30 to December 9 in the Red Sea port of Jeddah.

Michael Mann’s high octane biopic Ferrari has been announced as the closing picture of Saudi Arabia’s third Red Sea International Film Festival, running November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah.

Deadline has confirmed that actress Melissa Barrera has been dropped from Spyglass Media’s Scream VII.

EXCLUSIVE: German broadcasting network ARD has been accused of censorship following its decision to pull a scheduled broadcast of Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir’s 2017 feature Wajib due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Dubai-based Iraqi director Yasir Al-Yasiri’s “HWJN” has been chosen as the opening film of Saudi Arabia’s upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival. The fest’s third edition is set to run Nov. 30-Dec.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival will open its third edition, running from November 30 to December 9, with local movie HWJN, a fantasy romance combining Arabian folklore with modern themes that unfolds against the backdrop of the event’s home of Jeddah.

U.S-Israeli director and actress Aleeza Chanowitz has abandoned plans to attend the Stockholm Film Festival with her TV show Chanshi following a series of email exchanges in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict in which the event attempted to rescind an invite it made earlier this fall.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has announced a new batch of mostly international titles set to launch in its Festival Favorites and Treasures strands, including the international premiere of U.S. actor-turned-director Jennifer Esposito’s New York City mob drama “Fresh Kills.” Inspired by Esposito’s upbringing in Staten Island, “Fresh Kills” – in which Esposito co-stars with Annabella Sciorra – bowed stateside at the Tribeca Festival in June.

Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman Of The Hour and family drama Mother Couch, starring Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn, are headed to the third edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has revealed details of the Red Sea Souk, the fest’s industry market that will offer meeting and networking opportunities revolving around new Arab and African product. The Souk will take place Dec. 2-5 alongside the Nov.

The Red Sea International Film Festival, has unveiled the 26 projects selected as part of its industry-focused Red Sea Souk Market, running from December 2 to 5.

New Riyadh-based acquisition and distribution company TwentyOne Entertainment has announced its launch at upcoming the Red Sea International Film Festival, which is due to unfold in the port city of in Jeddah from November 30 to December 9.

Naman Ramachandran A first trailer has been unveiled for Pakistani-U.S. director Iram Parveen Bilal‘s Pakistan-set “Wakhri: One of a Kind,” which will have its world premiere at the upcoming Red Sea Film Festival. Bilal was named one of the directors to watch by the Alliance of Women Directors in 2020.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled it 2023 line-up and theme as it maintains its third edition against the backdrop of the escalating Israel-Gaza Conflict. (scroll down for full list)

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Leading Saudi advertising and live events company Alamiya has moved into film production by acquiring start up shingle Lyra Pictures, co-founded by experienced media exec Wesam Kattan, who was part of the Viacom team that launched MTV Arabia. Alamiya was founded in 1976 as the first film and TV studio in the kingdom, but was forced to change its business plan in the early 1980s due to the ban on cinema forced by religious conservatives.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla, the film entity looking to attract international productions to a sprawling area of desert and giant boulders, has forged a partnership with Hollywood indie Stampede Ventures, bringing 10 productions to the region over the next three years with a projected $350 million spend. The groundbreaking agreement with Stampede marks the first deal of this scale between Hollywood and Saudi since the kingdom lifted its ban on cinema in late 2017.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent WestEnd Films has scored multiple sales, including to North America, on British director Patrick Dickinson’s drama “Cottontail,” which stars Japan’s Lily Franky (“Shoplifters”) and Ciaran Hinds. The film, first announced at the AFM in 2019, won the prize for best first feature last week at the Rome Film Festival, where it had its world premiere.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The Marrakech International Film Festival has announced its full jury, signaling that the event is forging ahead with its 20th edition despite the Israel-Hamas conflict — which has caused cancellations of several other fests in the region — and the earthquake that hit the country in September. Joining Jessica Chastain – who is the fest’s previously announced jury president – will be Iranian actor Zar Amir; French actor Camille Cottin; Australian actor and director Joel Edgerton; British director Joanna Hogg; U.S. director Dee Rees; Swedish-Egyptian director Tarek Saleh; Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård and French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani.