Rich conversations… Stars from the Arab world shine on the red carpet

On its third day, the Red Sea Film Festival includes a series of events and films that celebrate the local and international film industry. Hosting a number of enriching dialogues with a number of the brightest stars, such as the beloved actress Mona Zaki, and the famous Turkish actors Engin Altan Duzyatan and Nurgul Yeşilçay.
The big screen also witnessed exclusive regional and international screenings of a number of films featuring unique cinematic talents, most notably the premiere of “Hobal,” “Sugar: Seven and the Pearls,” and “Synthesis and Stories on the Banks of the Bosphorus.”

Dialogue sessions

The third day of the festival included two dialogue sessions with the most prominent figures in the Arab world, including Mona Zaki, the guest of honor and the honored star of the festival this year. During her session, the beloved star discussed several topics, including her happiness with the great success of the movie “Flight 404,” describing this success as a “beautiful coincidence.”
She also touched on the characters she aspires to perform in her future works, stressing her constant keenness to present diverse roles that challenge her abilities and demonstrate her art, and expressed her pride and gratitude for the honor she received from the Red Sea Festival.
The dialogue sessions also included an exclusive session with the two most famous Turkish stars, Engin Altan Duzyatan and Nurgul Yeşilçay, during which they discussed their distinctive roles that captured the hearts of Arab viewers, their professional paths, their strategies to maintain the public’s interest, and how they intend to improve their public image.

Red carpet movies

On the third day of the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival, the red carpet welcomed an elite group of movie stars and the crew of three prominent films being shown for the first time globally, most notably the Saudi film, “Hoopal,” directed by Abdel Aziz Al-Shalahi, and the Egyptian film, “Sugar: Seven Seven and the Khuraziz Pills.” “, directed by Tamer Mahdy, whose show was accompanied by entertainment activities for children, in the presence of a group of stars from the Arab world. In addition to the premiere in the Arab world of the French documentary film “Cinema Lumière”, directed by Thierry Fermo, and the co-production film “Synthesis and Stories on the Banks of the Bosphorus”, directed by Zeina Sfeir.

The festival also witnessed the Middle East and North Africa premieres of To Kill a Mongolian Horse and Sima’s Song, and the GCC premieres of The White Dress and Naples – New York. Stars, directors, producers and main crew from all films walked the red carpet in Culture Square in the heart of the country, historic Jeddah, amid an atmosphere that celebrates the cultural diversity of cinema.

Leading market

The third day of the festival witnessed the launch of the Red Sea Market activities. The beating heart of the festival. Where local and international filmmakers meet to discover business opportunities, build important relationships, and discover original projects.
The Red Sea Market, which will continue until December 11, is more than just a center for exchanging cinematic works; It is the leading film market in the Middle East and Africa, presenting the best Arab, African and Asian talents, and providing a platform to showcase cinematic projects and communicate with the most influential decision-makers in the region in the presence of all local and international media.

Key insights

The market offers Red Sea International Film Festival affiliation badge holders essential insights into the film industry through several programmes, including “Market Seminars”, which hosted a symposium entitled “Exploring Television Visions and Trends”, presented by David Davoli (Head of the International Department at Anonymous Content), Nicholas Weinstock (founder and president of Innovation Studios), and Tima Shomali (actress, writer, director, and producer “Al Rawabi Girls School” series executive and CEO and executive producer of Filmzion Productions, Ritesh Sidhwani (co-founder of Excel Entertainment) and moderated by David Taghioff (CEO of Library Pictures International).
The famous film critic Kaleem Aftab from the Red Sea International Film Festival, with the participation of the President of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Frémaux, also presented, through the “Market Talent” program, an exceptional lecture during which they discussed the films that deeply influenced their careers and refined their cinematic vision. This special session provides a rare opportunity to explore the creative minds of these two cinematic icons.