The Red Sea Festival reveals the films participating in its official feature film competition

Today, during its press conference, the Red Sea International Film Festival revealed the list of feature films participating in its official competition, which will compete for the prestigious Al Yusr Awards during the conclusion of the fifth session of the festival, which is scheduled to be held in the historic country of Jeddah from December 4 to 13, 2025.

 

The official competition this year celebrates various cinematic arts, from narrative films, documentaries, and animated films, with the presence of Remarkable works from Asia, Africa, the Arab world and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and these selections embody an innovative cinematic language and a strong narrative that brings together rising voices and established names, to be celebrated through generous awards presented by an international jury in recognition of global cinematic excellence.

 

 

This year’s selections include seven films supported through the Red Sea Film Foundation system, Among them is the film that represents the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the “Oscars” Awards. The movie "Migration" By director Shahd Amin, in addition to Lebanon’s representative at the Academy Awards, the film “Stars of Hope and Pain” Directed by Cyril Aris. Director Zein Derai is participating in her first feature film, “Drowned,” along with the film, “Roqaya.” Liannis Cossem, based on the "Black Decade" In Algeria. The list includes the adult animated film “God Is Not Obligated”; Which was shown at the Annecy Festival, alongside the Kenyan documentary film “Track Mama”. Which highlights realistic stories full of courage and determination.

 

 

The official competition of the festival shines with the world premiere of the feature film "Barney" Director and photographer Mohamed Sheikh’s first experiences in Somalia, which deals with the story of the disappearance of a young girl under mysterious circumstances. The competition will also witness the regional screenings of the films “Two Seasons, Two Strangers.” Directed by Sho Miyake, winner of the Golden Leopard Award. At the Locarno Film Festival, the film “A Lost Land” Directed by Akio Fujimoto, it is the first feature film presented in the Rohingya language. The competition includes the Palestinian film “What Remains of You” Directed by Sherine Daibes, which follows the story of a boy who is drawn into a West Bank protest from his mother’s perspective, alongside director Abu Bakr Shawky’s latest work, the Egyptian film " THE STORIES”, and the Iraqi film “Irkala, The Dream of Gilgamesh” Directed by Mohamed Jabbara Al Darraji.

 

 

For his part, Antoine Khalifa, Director of the Arab and Classical Film Program at the Red Sea International Film Festival, said: “This year we continue to expand the horizons of the visions and experiences that Arab cinema can represent, through our official competition, which includes works rooted in their local environments, and carrying at their core a sense of Humanitarian and global at the same time. We are pleased to present an elite group of the region’s creativity – including the Saudi film Migration – as part of a group that reshapes our collective narrative through vibrant stories of resilience, migration, identity and transformation, told with honesty, depth and clarity. The creators of these works draw inspiration from their personal experiences and the experiences of their fathers and mothers to present stories that extend across time, about struggle, love of the land, music, and ambition. Through it, we witness a renewed picture of the history of the Arab world and its transformations over the decades.”

 

 

Finn Halligan, Director of the International Film Program, added: “This year’s selections feature common humanitarian themes that express loss and discovery, from the story of the missing girl in the film Barney Coming from Somalia, to the suffering of refugees. The Rohingya are in a lost land.

 

 

The competition also witnesses the first participation of a Korean film – The World of Love -, along with works from China, Tajikistan and Kenya, in a diversity that reflects the festival’s commitment to promoting cultural dialogue between East and West through the language of cinema. These films honor their makers who push the boundaries of cinematic creativity to new heights, stressing that the encounter between cultures is the deepest source of the birth of true art."