2024 Red Sea International Film Festival

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Red Sea International Film Festival
مهرجان البحر الأحمر السينمائي الدولي
Location Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Founded2019
Hosted by Red Sea Film Festival Foundation
Festival date5 December 2022 (2022-12-05)–14 December 2022 (2022-12-14)
LanguageArabic
English
Website RSFF
Red Sea International Film Festival

The 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival took place from December 5 to 14, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and marked the fourth edition of the film festival. [1] It was held in the newly built Cultural Square venue in the Al-Balad district of Jeddah. [2]

Contents

The Red Sea jury was headed by Spike Lee; over 120 films from 81 countries were featured for the film festival's lineup, and 16 films were selected for competition. [1] [3] A new short film competition, sponsored by TikTok, was added to the lineup. [4]

In addition to screening films for competition, the film festival also hosted talks and discussions, galas and parties, and other events for the industry. [2]

Jury

Features

Shorts

Official selection

The festival lineup was announced on November 11, 2024. [6]

Red Sea International Film Festival: In Competition

TitleDirector(s)Production country
Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti
Hanami Denise Fernandes
To a Land Unknown Mahdi Fleifel
Moon Kurdwin Ayub
Red Path Lotfi Achour
Snow WhiteTaghrid Abouelhassen
Bin U Bin, Border ElsewhereMohamed Lakhdar Tati
Saify Wael Abumansour
Aïcha Mehdi Barsaoui
Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo Khaled Mansour
Sima's Song Roya Sadat
6 in the Morning Mehran Modiri
To Kill a Mongolian Horse Jiang Xiaoxuan
Saba Maksud Hossain

Red Sea International Film Festival: Arab Spectacular

TitleDirector(s)Production country
40 Acres R. T. Thorne Canada
A Sudden Case of Christmas Peter Chelsom Italy
Better Man Michael Gracey United Kingdom, United States, Australia
K-Pops! Anderson .Paak United States
Kraven the Hunter J. C. Chandor United States
Maria Pablo Larraín Italy, Germany, United States
Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness Johnny Depp United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary
Monsieur Aznavour Mehdi Idir, Fabien Marsaud France
My WayThierry Teston, Lisa Azuelos France, United Kingdom
Naples to New York Gabriele Salvatores Italy
Ravens Mark Gill France, Japan, Spain, Belgium
State of Silence Santiago Maza Mexico
We Live in Time John Crowley France, United Kingdom

Special Screenings

TitleDirector(s)Production country
Abdo & Saneya Omar Bakry
Front Row Merzak Allouache
Hobal Abdulaziz Alshlahei
Lail NaharAbdulaziz Almuzaini
My Driver and I Ahd Kamel

Families & Children

TitleDirector(s)Production country
Night of the Zoopocalypse Richard Curtis, Rodrigo Perez-Castro
Panda Bear in Africa Richard Claus, Karsten Kiilerich
Sukkar: Sabaabaa W Houboub Al KharzizTamer Mahdy

New Vision

TitleDirector(s)Production country
AlroshanMohammed Ous
KemokaziAbdulrahman Batawie
Othman in the VaticanYasir Bin Ghanem
When the Light ShinesRyan Al Bishri
Yalla Parkour Areeb Zuaiter

Series

TitleDirector(s)Production country
Ghost Train Tak Se-Woong
Lost Worlds With Bettany Hughes: The NabataeansJim Greayer
Tales on Banks of the BosphorusZeina Sfeir
Zorro Jean Baptiste Saurel

Short Competition—Arab Selection

TitleDirector(s)Production country
Fragments of LifeAnis Ben Dali
Saint Rose Zayn Alexandre
The SignalNasser Alqattan
ShamsAdam Rayan
ChikhaAyoub Layoussifi, Zahoua Raji
African Family Dinner Ibrahim Mursal
In Three Layers of DarknessHoucem Slouli
Children of BarzaghAhmed Khattab
Mera, Mera, MeraKhaled Zidan
MalikaMaram Taibah
Land of GodImad Benomar
Nemshi?Assaf Al Rousan
FizrRani Nasr
ZahraHadi Shatat
One Last TimeKarim Rahbani

Short Competition—International Selection

TitleDirector(s)Production country
Across the WaterViv Li
AlazarBeza Hailu Lemma
Hatch Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh
Lai LeiBinglin Cui
LungeNegar Hassanzadeh
NailsTriparna Banerjee
Never Have I EverJoyce A. Nashawati
Pie Dan LoKim Yip Tong
RadikalsArvin Belarmino
Sanki YoxsanAzer Guliev
Urefu We KambaMageto Ndege
WashhhhMickey Lai

New Saudi, New Cinema Selection

TitleDirector(s)Production country
A MosquitoRaneem Almohandes, Dana Almohandes
The PostZakaria Albashir
UndergroundAbdulrahman Sandokji
Pavlov's BellsKhalid Fahad
KhamsenAbdullah Alrowis
Two SistersWaleed Alqahtani
TiedYam Fida
Where's the Imam?Abrar Qari
When the Shelves HymnHanaa Saleh Alfassi
Aseer MemorySaad Tahaitah
Diaa ShamsiLama Jarkas
SugarKhalid Bin Waleed

Awards

Award [7] Winner
Golden Yusr Award—Best Feature Film Red Path , dir. Lotfi Achour
Silver Yusr Award—Best Feature Film To a Land Unknown , dir. Mahdi Fleifel
Film AlUla Audience Award—Best Film Little Jaffna, dir. Lawrence Valin
Film AlUla Audience Award—Best Saudi FilmHobal, dir. Abdulaziz Alshlahei
Best DocumentaryState of Silence, dir. Santiago Maza
Chopard Rising Talent TrophyRoula Dakheelallah for My Driver & I
Cinematic Achievement To Kill a Mongolian Horse , dir. Jiang Xiaoxuan
Best ActorMahmoud Bakri for To a Land Unknown
Best ActressMariam Sherif for Snow White
Best ScreenplaySongs of Adam, written by Oday Rasheed
Best Director Lotfi Achour for Red Path
Jury Prize Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo , dir. Khaled Mansour
Golden Yusr—Best Short FilmHatch, dir. Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh
Silver Yusr—Best Short FilmAlazar, dir. Beza Hailu Lemma
Short Special MentionChildren of Barzagh, dir. Ahmed Khattab
48Hr Film Challenge [6] All in One Night, dir. Thoraya Akram
Afen, dir. Nawaf Alkinani, Othman Al Khowiter
Red Sea Honorees [8] Aamir Khan
Viola Davis
Emily Blunt
Mona Zaki

References

  1. 1 2 Anwer, Baraa (2024-12-06). "Hollywood and the Middle East mix at Red Sea International Film Festival". AP News. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  2. 1 2 "Red Sea returns for 2024 edition with new purpose-built venue in heart of Jeddah". Screen. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  3. Botelho, Renan (2024-12-05). "Red Sea International Film Festival 2024 Opening Ceremony: Eva Longoria, Emily Blunt and More [PHOTOS]". WWD. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  4. Szalai, Georg (2024-12-02). "TikTok Joins Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival as Sponsor, Unveils Shorts Competition". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  5. "Juries 2024 – Red Sea Film". redseafilmfest.com. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  6. 1 2 Goodfellow, Melanie (2024-11-11). "Johnny Depp's 'Modi' & Robbie Williams Biopic 'Better Man' Head To Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Fest With Karim Shenawy's 'The Tale Of Daye's Family' Set As Opener". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  7. Vlessing, Georg Szalai,Etan (2024-12-12). "'Red Path' Wins Top Award at Red Sea Fest; Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Viola Davis Get Honored". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-12-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. Szalai, Georg (2024-12-02). "Emily Blunt, Aamir Khan to Receive Honors at Red Sea Film Fest in Saudi Arabia". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-12-22.