The Red Sea Film Festival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia kicked off its second session on Friday with a wonderful ceremony that witnessed alongside the Egyptian icon Yousra and a large number of Arab talents Guy Ritchie, Sharon Stone and Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan on the red carpet.
The ceremony was held in the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jeddah, on the eastern shore of the Red Sea, and served as a strong confirmation of the theme of the event “Film is everything” and the special meaning of cinema in the country of Cannes. Until December 2017, going to the cinema was prohibited for reasons related to religion.
In his speech, Saudi producer and philanthropist Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the event, described the festival and the market as “a clear indication of change that plays a crucial role in transforming and reshaping the future for our next generation of creators.”
The opening of the second edition of the Red Sea Film Festival is a testament that the organizers are getting their message across and that the international film community is responding positively.
Chairman of the Red Sea Jury Oliver Stone; “Blonde” director Andrew Dominik; Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer who will be performing in concert, Turkey’s Fatih Akin; Luca Guadagnino and Giuseppe Tornatore from Italy; Indian Priyanka Chopra; France’s Melanie Laurent and Spain’s Rossi de Palma are just a few of the other non-Arab talents spotted on the carpet. Spike Lee and Jackie Chan are expected in the coming days.
After the ceremony, the celebration of Shekhar Kapoor’s marriage took off in earnest frothy rom-com “What does love have to do with this?” With Kapoor, writer Jemima Khan, actors Shabana Azmi, Sajal Ali, Jeff Mirza, and DJ and music producer Naughty Boy.
Then multi-platinum pop-R&B singer Bruno Mars performed a live set at the quietly opening ceremony, where hundreds of guests from dozens of countries feasted on local dishes with non-alcoholic bubbles, non-alcoholic wines and ice-cold smoothies.
The Red Sea Festival runs until December 10.
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