The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) has announced the third iteration of the yearly festival will take place from November 30 to December 9, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following a successful run in December 2022.
The second edition was praised for showcasing 143 films from 66 nations to 39,410 moviegoers and 4,345 film professionals, media members, and students, as well as for greatly increasing the industry and events programme.
Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone presided over the jury panel that gave 13 Yusr Awards to filmmakers in the festival’s film competition, which highlighted movies from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Asia, and Africa.
The “Hanging Gardens” directed by Ahmed Yassin Al-Daradji won the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film, while the “How I Got There” by Zeyad Al-Husaini received the Film AlUla Audience Award for Best Saudi Film.
In a statement, CEO Mohammed Al-Turki said, “Our second edition was a huge success and signified that the Red Sea International Film Festival is evolving into a global event that we are very proud of and grateful to everyone who supported us. We are still navigating our way being a young festival and film industry but have been delighted with the feedback from the local community, regional and international guests.
“We were honoured to welcome some of the leading voices in Hollywood, Bollywood, South Korea, Africa and Arab cinema, sharing their journeys to the big screen with a new generation of Saudi creatives who are capturing the attention of the global film industry. Throughout the year, we will continue to support emerging filmmakers, welcome productions to shoot against our extraordinary landscapes and plan for our third edition as we continue to make our mark on the Festival circuit,” he added.