Red Sea International Film Festival 2025 reveals line-up, with Prince Naseem biopic to open - Salam

Assalamu alaykum. The fifth Red Sea International Film Festival will open with Giant, a boxing biopic about British-Yemeni world champion Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed. Directed by Rowan Athale and starring Amir El-Masry, Giant will have its MENA premiere on December 4 in Jeddah’s Al-Balad district. The movie follows Hamed’s journey from humble roots in Sheffield to international success, while also addressing the racism and Islamophobia that affected parts of Britain in the 1980s and 1990s. “Our choice of Giant to open the fifth edition is a celebration of regional talent making waves on the global stage,” said Faisal Baltyuor, chief executive of the Red Sea Film Foundation. The competition will showcase 16 films from the Arab world, Africa and Asia, several being submitted for the 2026 Academy Awards. Highlights include Hijra by Saudi director Shahad Ameen, following three generations of women traveling from Taif to Makkah; A Sad and Beautiful World by Lebanese filmmaker Cyril Aris, a love story across decades in Beirut; and All That’s Left of You by Cherien Dabis, tracing three generations of Palestinians shaped by the Nakba. Other entries are Allah Is Not Obliged, an animated adaptation of Ahmadou Kourouma’s novel from a Franco-Luxembourg-Belgian-Canadian-Saudi collaboration; Barni, a Somali-Djiboutian-American drama by Mohammed Sheikh; and Irkalla: Dreams of Gilgamesh by Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, set in the streets of Baghdad. The lineup also includes Lost Land by Akio Fujimoto, the first Rohingya-language feature; Black Rabbit, White Rabbit by Shahram Mokri; Sink by Zain Duraie; Roqia by Yanis Koussim; The Stories by Abu Bakr Shawky; The World of Love by Yoon Ga-eun; Truck Mama by Zippy Nyaruri; Nighttime Sounds by Zhang Zhongchen; and Two Seasons, Two Strangers by Sho Miyake. Four Saudi films anchor the Arab Spectacular section. Anas Ba-Tahaf’s A Matter of Life and Death offers a dark rom-com set in Jeddah, while Haifaa Al Mansour’s Unidentified follows a woman investigating a mysterious death in her hometown. Amine Lakhnech’s The Fakenapping and Amira Diab’s Wedding Rehearsal complete the local entries. Regional highlights include Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36, set during the Arab Revolt of 1936, looking at how political events shape personal lives. The International Spectacular includes Couture by Alice Winocour, a Paris-set drama starring Angelina Jolie; Scarlet, a Japanese animated film from Mamoru Hosoda inspired by Hamlet; Desert Warrior, Rupert Wyatt’s Saudi-shot historical epic with Anthony Mackie and Ben Kingsley; Farruquito – A Flamenco Dynasty, a Spanish-American documentary; and The Wizard of the Kremlin, Olivier Assayas’s political thriller led by Paul Dano and Jude Law. This section also features The Voice of Hind Rajab, a hybrid documentary-drama by Kaouther Ben Hania about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed during the Israel–Gaza war, and Sirat by Oliver Laxe, a Spain–France co-production exploring grief and transcendence as a father searches for his missing daughter. Alongside screenings, the festival will run industry and talent platforms, the Red Sea Souk and Red Sea Labs. The Souk will present 40 projects in development and production, with 42% female participation. The Labs continue mentoring and training for emerging filmmakers across the region. The Red Sea International Film Festival runs from December 4 to 13 in Jeddah’s Al-Balad. Jury members and celebrity guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Practical notes: consider wearing a face covering in crowded indoor spaces, keep windows closed and AC on if air quality is poor, and avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure when conditions are bad. If you need to travel, try to minimize idling when stopped. May this festival bring beneficial art and respectful conversation to the community. Wa alaykum assalam. https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2025/11/04/saudi-red-sea-international-film-festival-2025-unveils-line-up/