Spike Lee Named Jury President of Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia
Spike Lee will serve as the president of the main competition jury at the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The fest will see 16 movies compete in the main competition lineup of its latest edition running Dec. 5-14. The titles include Reema Kagti’s Superboys of Malegaon, which had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, and Kurdwin Ayub’s Moon, which debuted at the Locarno Film Festival where it won the special jury prize.
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“Having been lucky enough to experience first-hand the incredible filmmaking, atmosphere, and creativity at the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2022, it’s a privilege to be returning this year as president of the jury,” Lee said. “Alongside creating a melting pot for cultures to come together in celebration of our important art form, it’s vital to continue to platform young and emerging filmmakers who are finding their voice in the industry, and it’s exciting to see first-time directors from across the Arab region, Asia and Africa as part of the competition lineup this year.”
Jomana Al Rashid, chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, lauded Lee. “Spike is a pioneering director whose iconic work has made a lasting impact on both film as a medium and culture at large,” she said. “His energy, incisiveness, and genuine championing of creativity and new voices make him an ideal fit to lead our jury for this year.”
Honors for and onstage appearances by Viola Davis and Egyptian star Mona Zaki (Perfect Strangers, Flight 404, Aserb: The Squadron, The Spider) have also previously been set for RSIFF 2024. It will open with Karim Shenawi’s The Tale of Daye’s Family and close with Better Man, Michael Gracey’s biopic of Robbie Williams.
Last year, writer, director and producer Baz Luhrmann (Elvis, Moulin Rouge) presided over the Jeddah festival’s features competition jury. Zarrar Khan’s In Flames picked up the Yusr Award for best competition film back then. The Pakistani-Canadian horror movie portrays a mother and daughter having to navigate loss, oppression and vulnerability after the death of the family patriarch.
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