Red Sea International Film Festival Is Accepting Submissions for 4th Edition  

Red Sea International Film Festival Is Accepting Submissions for 4th Edition  
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Red Sea International Film Festival Is Accepting Submissions for 4th Edition  

Red Sea International Film Festival Is Accepting Submissions for 4th Edition  

The Red Sea International Film Festival is still welcoming submissions for its fourth edition.

The festival extends an invitation to filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Asia, and Africa to submit their films for the Red Sea: Competition and the Red Sea: Shorts Competition sections, along with the New Saudi/New Cinema section, which aims to showcase the talents and cinematic creativity of Saudi filmmakers.

The deadline for submissions is August 22.

Films participating in the event will vie for the prestigious Yusr Awards, including the Red Sea Golden Yusr Award for Best Film in Competition, which offers a cash prize of $100,000. Other accolades include Best Direction, the Jury Prize, and Best Short Film.

The forthcoming edition of the festival is scheduled to run from December 5 to 14 in Al Balad, Jeddah. It will provide diverse opportunities for emerging directors and filmmakers to present their work.

The festival remains a focal point for film enthusiasts, creators, and industry experts worldwide, featuring prominent film screenings.

The festival delves into rediscovering timeless masterpieces and restored works through experimental, audio-visual narratives that defy norms and blend reality with fantasy.



Taylor Swift Wedding-dress Fever Puts Bridal Brands on High Alert

Taylor Swift. (Reuters file)
Taylor Swift. (Reuters file)
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Taylor Swift Wedding-dress Fever Puts Bridal Brands on High Alert

Taylor Swift. (Reuters file)
Taylor Swift. (Reuters file)

Taylor Swift's wedding dress remains under wraps. But wedding chain David's Bridal is already betting brides will want one just like it. Fans are eagerly awaiting the reveal of the Christian Dior dress Swift wore at her tightly controlled Madison Square Garden celebration on July 3. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong design team at David's Bridal, which owns roughly 200 stores across the US, has already sketched about two dozen looks based on the pop star's likely aesthetics, with a focus on Hollywood glamour and drop-waist silhouettes, CEO Kelly Cook told Reuters.

Those preparations will help the brand "move very quickly when we have an idea of where the dress has landed," Cook explained. David's Bridal has already seen an uptick in searches for Swift-inspired designs on its website, which lists dresses ranging from hundreds of dollars ‌to more than $3,000.

Designers say ‌they will be looking out for elements of her outfit that could blossom ‌into ⁠bridal fashion trends.

Viola ⁠Chan, head of couture and design at David's Bridal in Hong Kong, said her team studied Swift's personal life to sketch three groups of designs: embellished ball gowns, simple gowns with a touch of detail, and short dresses in case of a mid-ceremony outfit change.

"It could be her makeup, her hair styling, and could be the number of gowns that she changed, the color of her gowns, the floral decoration," Chan said, while showcasing a template adorned with flowers and lace.

Barcelona-based bridal wear designer Pronovias, with distribution in more than 100 countries, said it plans to draw inspiration from the silhouettes, fabrics and "attitude" of Swift's look, as ⁠the brand has done for royal and other high-profile celebrity weddings in the past.

NEW SWIFT-INSPIRED ‌DESIGNS

An unusual color or fabric - pink or metallic lace, for example - could ‌ripple through the bridal industry, said Sharon Sever, the creative director at Tel Aviv-based luxury wedding dress company Galia Lahav. A unique ‌veil might also inspire new fashion trends.

For now, brands like Galia Lahav and New York-based Jenny Yoo are in ‌a wait-and-see mode, along with their customers.

"The images make all the difference in the design world," said Liza Pontoni, design director at Jenny Yoo. The Justin Alexander Group, a US-based bridal fashion house, is in the process of finalizing sketches for its spring and summer 2028 collection, which will be available in stores in autumn 2027. If Swift reveals her Dior dress in the coming weeks, the company ‌might incorporate certain elements into the designs, said CEO and creative director Justin Warshaw.

And if boutiques signal a surge in interest for Swift-inspired gowns, the fashion house might ⁠pull strings to make the ⁠new collection available to retailers and brides even sooner than the typical one-year timeline, Warshaw said.

For indie bridal franchise Lovely Bride, new details will be at most referential to Swift's look, said Lanie List, the founder and CEO.

"We'll definitely tell our brides things that we have that are similar, if something she wears inspires them," she said.

LEGAL RISKS

For designers and brands, the risk of falling into legal trouble depends on what exactly they copy, said Brad D. Rose, co-chair of law firm Pryor Cashman's Intellectual Property Group, who works with luxury brands.

US copyright law generally does not protect the cut, shape or silhouette of clothing. That means a bridal company can often lawfully create a dress that mimics an aesthetic. But specific decorative elements such as embroidery or beadwork may be protected.

If a bridal brand were to falsely suggest an affiliation with Swift or LVMH-owned Dior, trademark and unfair competition concerns could arise, Rose added.

Pronovias leans into seasonal trends rather than emulating specific pieces or names, a spokesperson said. The designer will, for example, avoid using Swift or Dior's name in marketing, while still drawing inspiration from trends that emerge from the collaboration.


Green Day Pours Punk Rock Spirit Into ‘Nimrods’ Film

Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool from rock band Green Day pose on the day they unveil their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, May 1, 2025. (Reuters)
Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool from rock band Green Day pose on the day they unveil their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, May 1, 2025. (Reuters)
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Green Day Pours Punk Rock Spirit Into ‘Nimrods’ Film

Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool from rock band Green Day pose on the day they unveil their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, May 1, 2025. (Reuters)
Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool from rock band Green Day pose on the day they unveil their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, May 1, 2025. (Reuters)

Green Day, the punk rock band that rose to global fame, are turning to filmmaking with "Nimrods," a coming-of-age comedy inspired in part by their early years as musicians.

Written and directed by Lee Kirk, the film follows three teenagers pursuing their dreams of making it in music, a journey the band says mirrors aspects of its own rise.

"The first dream we ever had was to play a gig and we finally got a chance to play a gig," ‌lead singer Billie ‌Joe Armstrong said.

Armstrong said Green Day's ambitions grew alongside its success, ‌progressing ⁠from landing gigs ⁠to filling stadiums and, ultimately, making a movie.

In the film, Tommy, played by Mason Thames, dreams of opening for Green Day after handing the band a demo tape at a meet-and-greet.

After his brother Wayne convinces him that Green Day has invited his band to open a New Year's Eve show, Tommy and his bandmates, Fred, played by Kyle Coffman, and Chad, portrayed by Ryan Foust, embark on a cross-country trip from Kansas to Los Angeles determined to make ⁠it happen.

Band members said the road-trip storyline draws on experiences from ‌Green Day's early touring years.

"You never know ‌when you're living those moments in your life and you're doing cool stuff, you don't realize ‌in that moment that this is going to be a bitching scene in a ‌movie some day," drummer Tre Cool said.

Bassist Mike Dirnt said the film aims to capture the band's youthful outlook and rock-and-roll spirit.

"We had nothing to lose and we wanted to go out and take over the world. If that meant playing for six people, that's great, if it lands at ‌68,000 later on, that's still great. But I just think the spirit is there, the spirit of rock and roll really," ⁠he said.

Armstrong said ⁠the comedy was influenced by films such as "Rushmore" and the work of director John Hughes.

"I've always had a part teenage brain, part teenage heart or whatever. So, those are some of my favorite movies, so we definitely used that as an influence," the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" singer said.

While Green Day plays a key role in the story, the band largely remains off screen, with its music instead featured prominently throughout the soundtrack.

"You don't have to be a Green Day fan to love this movie. You can just love this movie and you'll probably end up liking Green Day after, I hope," Cool said.

"Nimrods," produced by Live Nation Studios, opens in US theaters on August 14.

Green Day rose to mainstream success with its 1994 album "Dookie" and is known for hits including "Basket Case,Good Riddance" and "American Idiot." The band has won four Grammy Awards and inspired a Broadway musical with "American Idiot."


Taylor Swift Songs Removed from White House, Trump Campaign Posts

Taylor Swift. (Reuters file)
Taylor Swift. (Reuters file)
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Taylor Swift Songs Removed from White House, Trump Campaign Posts

Taylor Swift. (Reuters file)
Taylor Swift. (Reuters file)

Some Taylor Swift songs have been removed from social media videos posted by President Donald Trump’s campaign and the White House, which has used two of the American superstar's songs over the past week.

The White House and a representative for Swift did not immediately respond to requests for ‌comment, according to Reuters.

Swift has not spoken recently about Trump, although she endorsed his Democratic rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, in 2024. During the 2020 campaign, Swift posted on social media that Trump was “WELL AWARE we do not want him as our president.”

Trump has repeatedly criticized Swift. After she endorsed Harris, the Republican said on social media, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” Last year he wrote: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she’s no longer ‘HOT?’”

Dozens of ⁠artists, including Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande have called on the Trump administration not to use their songs.

The Trump campaign used two Swift songs over the last week on its TikTok page. One, playing on her lyrics, featured the caption: “Red (Donald Trump's Version). Red (Taylor Swift Wrote A Whole Album About Republicans). Donald Trump. Everything Has Changed (At Our Southern Border). Donald Trump. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (The Biden Harris Administration). Donald Trump. The Last Time (An Autopen Runs The Country).” It referenced famous songs by the pop star.

In June, Trump's campaign posted a video on the short-video platform with Swift's new “Toy Story 5” song “I Knew It, I Knew You.”

In April, the White House shared a video showing the crew of Artemis II meeting with Trump at the White House the day ⁠before. The video used Swift's “High Infidelity” and lyrics from the song: “Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?”

The White House shared another TikTok video in November featuring “The Fate of Ophelia” from Swift's “The Life of a Showgirl” album, which had been released ⁠the month before. That video featured images of the US flag, monuments and various photos of Trump, including his 2023 arrest mugshot

That post garnered widespread social media reaction and led to a White House spokesperson telling multiple news outlets the video ⁠was created because the Trump administration knew news outlets “would breathlessly amplify them.”

The communications team for Trump, who is prolific on social media, has posted an array of hit songs with images including Trump's immigration crackdown, US military operations against Iran and the arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.