RED SEA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IS ALL ABOUT CELEBRATING CINEMA, STORIES, AND STARS: A film festival is a glorious platform to celebrate storytellers from around the world and the ongoing Red Sea International Film Festival is doing a splendid job of balancing films, fanfare, and stardust. Gulf News was on the grounds chronicling the highlights and there's no denying that when it comes to pulling in star power, there's no outdoing RSIFF. Celebrated actors like Chris Hemsworth, Will Smith, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif, and director Baz Luhrmann are all in Jeddah talking films and hailing different voices in filmmaking. Saudi Arabia's film industry may be relatively new, but such festivals are amplifying their catch-up speed to global cinema with great force. When all Hollywood, Bollywood, and Korean cinema stars are heading to Jeddah this week, we know that this country is on the cusp of a cinematic revolution. Plus there were at least 38 filmmakers who are women participating this year which is an impressive number. As their festival tagline goes: 'Your story, your festival", we have seen good films and some ultra-glamorous stars championing good cinema at Red Sea. The show is nothing short of spectacular and has reminded us that film festivals are a breeding ground for new voices and new methods of storytelling. (By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor)
AFP