The Saudis now have their own film event— the Red Sea Film Festival. This year, Spike Lee is president of the jury, and Puck’s Matt Belloni is reporting that they paid the filmmaker close to $3M to accept the position. Last year, it was president Oliver Stone.
The Red Sea Film Festival was created in 2021, and they now have their tentacles firmly planted in numerous film festivals around the world, including Cannes. The Red Sea program lacks movies from the west — mostly Middle Eastern fare that conforms to the country’s conservative values.
The 2024 edition of the fest has also lured Michael Mann to show up for a 30th anniversary screening of “Heat.” The “International” section is where you might find U.S. and European films, this year you have “Better Man,” “Kraven the Hunter,” “Maria,” and “We Live in Time” showcased. No sign of Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer.”
The Red Sea Film Festival will showcase 120 films from 81 territories from December 5 to 14 in the port city of Jeddah.