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Elaf from JeddahThe Red Sea International Film Festival held the opening ceremony of its second session, which will run from December 1 to December 10. The ceremony was attended by a large number of art stars in the Arab world, as well as Bollywood and Hollywood stars.
The activities of the second session kicked off with the screening of the romantic and comedy movie “What does love have to do with it?”, Directed by Shekhar Kapoor, written by Jamima Khan and produced by Canal Working Title Studios. Open air performances also began in the Al Hamra Corniche, with the famous Bollywood romantic movie, which is very popular. Dilwale Will Take the Bride”, directed by Aditya Chopra.
Yousra: Thank you, my second country is Saudi Arabia
During the ceremony, the festival presented the Honorary Golden Yusr Award to three movie stars: the actor and producer Shahrukh Khan from India, the Egyptian actress Yousra, and the brilliant British director Guy Ritchie.
During her honoring, the artist, Yusra, expressed her great happiness, saying: “I don’t know how to thank you for this love.. Thank you for honoring me in my second country, Saudi Arabia. Art and cinema are the memory of humanity, and I am proud that I worked with many young people from the new generation. I am proud that I worked with young people from Saudi Arabia, who will be great in the history of cinema,” praising the Kingdom’s endeavors to advance art and support cinema.
Shahrukh Khan: Saudi Arabia has witnessed a great development
As for the Indian star, Shahrukh Khan, he surprised the audience with his Arabic words while on stage, where he said in Arabic: “Thank you for hosting me and I am happy to be with you.” He also praised the Egyptian artist Yousra, describing her as an icon of representation in the Middle East, and expressed his great admiration for the progress achieved by Saudi Arabia in All fields, especially artistic ones, describing them as great leaps, stressing that cinema is a language with which peoples interact, and a means of exchange and convergence of cultures.
Mohammed Al-Turki: We seek to make a tangible cultural contribution to the Kingdom
Mohamed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea International Film Festival, said: “We are pleased to welcome cinema lovers, talented storytellers, and film industry professionals from all over the world to Jeddah, for the second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, which I hope will exceed expectations thanks to what it has. This event is now of unprecedented importance, and it is a clear indication of the development witnessed by the festival, and its vital role in transforming and reshaping the future of our next generation of creators. We now have a unique opportunity to communicate new films to a wider audience, display the creations of new and interesting talents, and make a contribution tangible culture at the level of the Kingdom and the region in general.
Prominent artistic presence
The ceremony was attended by a large number of artists and filmmakers worldwide, including Saudi and Gulf stars and directors: Haifa Al-Mansour, Muhammad Al-Atawi, Lulwa Al-Mulla, Adwa Fahd, Mila Al-Zahrani, Zara Al-Balooshi, Baraa Alem, Yasser Al-Saqqaf, Alaa Faden, Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj, and Nour. Al-Khadhra, Suhaib Quds, Fatima Al-Banawi, Sana Bakr Younes, Faisal Al-Doukhi, Ibrahim Al-Khair Allah, Hisham Fakih, and many others.
And from the Arab world: Nadine Njeim, Dora, George Khabbaz, Nour Al-Ghandour, Tara Imad, Ahmed Yassin Al-Daradji, Wissam Diaa, Hala Sidqi, Lebleba, Karim Fahmy, Hassan Al-Raddad, Ola Rushdi, Ahmed Dawoud, Eman Nawal, Ziad Jallad, and Yasser Kazouz Soudad Kaadan, Khairy Bishara, Adnan Baraka, Salma Abu Deif, and many others.
International talents include: Shekhar Kapoor, Jamima Khan, Shabana Azmi, Sajal Ali, Shahrukh Khan, Guy Ritchie, Sharon Stone, Maryam Ozerli, AR Rahman, Jeff Mirza, Luca Guadagnino, Park Hye Soo, Andy Garcia, Henry Golding, Priyanka Chopra , Giuseppe Tornatore, Scott Eastwood, Luna Maya, Michelle Rodriguez, Lucy Hale, Frida Pinto, Rossi de Palma, Gaspar Noé, Andrew Domenech, Nadine Labaki, Fatih Akin, Sinjar Madi, Marina Ruy Barbosa, Nolan Funk, Melanie Laurent, Maria Pedraza Alex Gonzalez, Alejandra Onieva, John Kortajarena, Hiba Abouk, Julianne Hough, Ham Tran, Gurinder Chada, Eri Claver, and others.
Also in attendance were members of the Red Sea Jury, including Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, Nelly Karim, Kawthar Ben Haniyeh, Levan Kogvashvili and Ali Suleiman, as well as members of the Red Sea Short Film Competition Jury: Joanna Haji-Thoma, Shahd Amin and Uzi Agho. .
