Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) lit up Cannes with its dazzling “Women in Cinema” gala, held in partnership with Vanity Fair Europe. The star-studded evening attracted celebrities from around the globe, making it an unforgettable night in the world of film and fashion.
After the cancellation of last year’s gala due to the actor’s and writer’s strike in Hollywood, this year, the extravagant event made a comeback with a dinner followed by the RSIFF’s “Women in Cinema” panel discussion, part of the Variety Global Conversations event earlier in the day. This insightful panel featured an impressive lineup of talents: Egyptian actress and model Salma Abu Deif, Indian actress Kiara Advani, Thai actress, model, and singer Sarocha Chankimha (known as Freen), Saudi actress Adhwa Fahad, Saudi singer and actress Aseel Omran, and French-Senegalese director Ramata Toulaye-Sy. These stars shared their personal journeys, career milestones, and sources of inspiration, captivating the audience with their stories.
As the sun set, the iconic Hotel Du Cap became the epicenter of Hollywood glamor. Among the illustrious attendees were The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare actress Eiza González, model Ikram Abdi, legendary supermodel Naomi Campbell, and Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk. The guest list also boasted the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Richard Gere, Minnie Driver, Raya Abirached, Alexa Chung, Wallis Day, Lucas Bravo, and Uma Thurman, all adding to the evening’s allure.
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Speaking about the event, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, Jomana R. Alrashid said: “At the Red Sea Film Foundation, ‘Women in Cinema’ goes beyond just a one night celebration, it’s an initiative at the cornerstone of the foundation and our work– to support the underrepresented yet unparalleled female voices that propel our industry to new, undiscovered heights. Since the inception of the Foundation, we have supported over 79 films from female directors and have supported over 75 female filmmakers, creators, and executives through our Red Sea Labs programmes. The future of women in cinema has never been brighter or more promising, and our honorees tonight represent the changing face of film and television.”
Saudi Arabia’s presence at the 77th Cannes Film Festival is nothing short of monumental, backing four groundbreaking projects featured at the event. Films such as Norah, The Brink of Dreams, To A Land Unknown, and Animale will grace the screens as part of the Un Certain Regard, Directors’ Fortnight, and Critic’s Week programs at Cannes. These projects have been nurtured through the Red Sea Fund and the Red Sea Souk, underscoring the Kingdom’s growing influence in the cinematic universe.
Meanwhile, the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will run in Jeddah from Dec. 5-14.
