Latest in Red Sea International Film Festival

"We have such interesting stories and such interesting lifestyles and societal problems and we are using movies to address them," said actor-producer Ini Edo when speaking at Deadline's Red Sea Studio about the kinds of stories that are bursting out of the Nollywood industry right now.  "Basically…

Iraqi writer-director Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji, whose film Hanging Gardens won the top prize at the Red Sea International Film Festival this week, drew upon his own experiences when writing the script for his debut feature film.  "The story comes from my personal experience and I was waiting for a…

As execs from the global film industry descended in Jeddah this week for the Red Sea International Film Festival, Film AlUla was one component that was drumming up interest in attracting local and international productions to come and shoot in the region.  The agency's exec director Charlene…

Director Fatih Akin was on summer vacation reading the biography of German rap star Xatar when he read the opening line, which said, "the first memories of my life are the memories of a prison."  "When you read such a strong line, I was immediately hooked by the whole thing," said Akin at Deadline's…

Deadline Studio at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2022 hosted talent from December 1 -5 at The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Guy Ritchie, Shah Rukh Khan, Spike Lee and Oliver Stone all attended to have their portraits taken, including CEO of Red Sea International Film Festival, Mohammed Al Turki, Chair…

Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International Film Festival kicked off its second edition in the port city of Jeddah, on December 1st in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, December 8th, The Red Sea Film Festival had its Closing Night Gala Red Carpet at the Red Sea International Film Festival attended by Mike Tyson, Toni Garrn…

Saudi Arabia has taken another step in its push to become a movie production hub by launching its long-awaited 40% cash rebate to grow the local economy. Unveiling the Film Saudi initiative at the Cannes Saudi Pavilion, the Saudi Film Commission (SFC) said the program is now open for applications via a dedicated…

When Saudi Arabia announced it was opening movie theaters for the first time in 35 years back in late 2017, there was excitement from international exhibitors and Hollywood studios who saw a fertile new market of opportunity. Importantly, 70% of the Kingdom's 34M population is under 30 and has money to spend.  And…

Levan Koguashvili's Brighton 4th has scooped up the Best Film prize at Saudi Arabia's inaugural Red Sea Film Festival. The title is Georgia's entry in the Academy Awards international feature category this year. Elsewhere in the festival’s Yusr Awards, Hamzah K. Jamjoom's title Rupture was the winner for Best Saudi…

After much speculation, the Saudi Film Commission has announced its film incentive package, offering a 40% cash rebate of total qualifying spend for local and international productions. The announcement comes just before the country's first-ever film festival, the Red Sea International Film Festival, draws to a close…

Afternoon all, it’s nearly Christmas but we’re not slowing down. Here’s Max Goldbart with your weekly dose of international news and analysis from the International Insider. To get this sent to your inbox every Friday, sign up here. Red Sea Roving Reporter Saudi Film Fest underway: Deadline's very own Diana…

Saudi Arabia's nascent film industry is in the spotlight this week thanks to the inaugural edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, which runs until December 15. Few international productions had ventured into the Saudi desert to shoot prior to this year, which saw the first real influx of…