The Red Sea Film Festival announced this week that Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore will head the features competition jury, alongside other members from the Arab region and the world, while the Red Sea Shorts Competition jury will be led by Egypt's Marwan Hamed. The festival is set to screen international movies including those featured in Cannes and Venice film festivals.
Giuseppe said "his participation in the festival comes as the region witnesses an amazing boost in the cinema industry, and a wave of new creative talents. There is such a strong selection of films coming from the Arab world, Asia and Africa. It's a huge and challenging responsibility."
Widely considered as one of the most acclaimed directors in Italy, his career has spanned over 30 years during which he introduced great works including Cinema Paradiso (1988).
Giuseppe is also known for his longstanding association with composer Ennio Morricone, who worked with him in 13 of his movies. Tornatore's latest documentary, which tells the story of the composer, will be displayed as part of the festival's International Spectacular Program.
The jury's other members are mainly female, including Tunisian actress Hend Sabry, Palestinian-American director, writer, actress, and producer Cherien Dabis, German film director, writer, and editor Daniela Michel and Saudi film director Abdulaziz Alshlahei.
Shorts Competition Jury will be led by Egyptian director Marwan Hamed. He will be joined by Saudi Arabian actress and director Ahd Kamel and Finnish-Somali director and writer Khadar Ayderus.
The official competition is set to feature the latest cinema works from Asia, Africa, and the Arab region. It will also offer the opportunity to discover new talents, alongside professional works with 16 feature films, and 18 shorts.
The Red Sea Immersive Cinema competition will be adjudicated by an all-female jury presided by American avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson, who will be joined by BAFTA-winning director Victoria Mapplebeck and one of the first Saudi Arabian street artists Sarah Mohanna Al Abdali.
