Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival kicked off its fourth version with a starry opening ceremony on Thursday night because it returned to the historic Al-Balad neighborhood of its residence port metropolis of Jeddah.
Among the celebrities hitting the purple carpet had been Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in addition to Spike Lee, who’s the jury president this yr, Eva Longoria, Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Erivo, Will Smith, Michelle Rodriguez and profession honorees Vin Diesel, Emily Blunt and Aamir Khan.
Michelle Rodriguez, Mohammed Al Turki and Eva Longoria (Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)
As he obtained his profession award, Diesel commented on the star wattage within the room: “There could be extra acquainted faces than a number of the awards reveals again in America. Am I loopy to say that? There are simply so many nice individuals right here.”
Singling out Lee, The Fast & Furious star revealed how he had labored as an additional on the director’s motion pictures within the Eighties. “When I noticed Spike, I might attempt to run as a result of if anybody sees you as an additional, you’ll at all times be an additional. I used to be doing additional work on his motion pictures and hiding,” he recalled.
“I by no means knew that,” Lee shouted up from the ground.
Lee famous in his speech that this was his third time in Saudi Arabia, having beforehand attended the pageant in 2022 and likewise shot a part of his 1992 Oscar-nominated movie Malcolm X in Mecca.
Yusr Feature Jury Member, Spike Lee and Will Smith (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)
He described being requested to be jury president as a type of blessings that come out of nowhere.
“This positively goes in that class. When I received the decision that [they] wished me to be president of the jury, it didn’t take me too lengthy to reply, I mentioned, ‘Hell yeah’,” he recounted.
The return to Al-Balad marks a milestone for the pageant with its guardian physique opening everlasting headquarters within the neighbourhood.
The pageant has taken place in Jeddah’s chateau like Ritz Carlton lodge over the previous two years, however most visitors had been pleased to be again in Al-Balad, which hosted the occasion in its inaugural yr, and has been significantly spruced up since.
“Today as we rejoice the Red Sea Foundation’s return to Al Balad with our gorgeous new headquarters, we stand impressed by the heritage, and humbled by the historical past for that is greater than only a identify, it’s a transformative house the place a brand new movie tradition is taking root,” mentioned Jomana Al Rashid, Chairwoman of the occasion’s guardian physique, the Red Sea Film Foundation.
Running from December 5 to 14, the pageant opened with Egyptian director Karim Shenawy’s feel-good drama The Tale Of Daye’s Family (aka Light), and can showcase some 120 options and shorts from 81 territories over the course of the approaching 9 days.
Emily Blunt and Cynthia Erivo (Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)
