Hollywood, Bollywood and the Saudi film industry came together on the fourth day of the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival (8 December) when actor-producer-director Olivia Wilde, Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor, Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser and Saudi film pioneers Ibrahim AlHasawi and Meshal AlMutairi all participated in the ‘In Conversation’ series.
Learning from the Stars
Wilde spoke passionately about getting more women into the industry as not just actors, but also directors and producers. Noting no shortage of talent, but rather a shortage of opportunity, she praised the RSIFF for its Red Sea Labs project for the way it’s fostering female filmmaking talent and helping women understand the logistical and strategic processes of putting a film together and realising it.
Ranbir Kapoor revealed how his failures have taught him more than his successes – and that he’s learned to take great pride in owning his failures. He explained that he’s still learning why some of his films have been massively successful while others haven’t performed at the box office – for him, it’s a process of learning that often only provides clarity years after a film’s release.
Ever self-deprecating, Brendan Fraser explored what advice would you give us as Saudi filmmakers. “You guys are on the right path, keep doing what you’re doing because you’re doing it right,” he told the excited audience.
Saudi film pioneers Ibrahim AlHasawi and Meshal AlMutairi said that young filmmakers in the country have the opportunity to usher in a golden era for cinema, thanks to the plethora of support and avenues to explore and learn that they have access to.
Groundbreaking Cinema Lands at RSIFF
The red carpet at Culture Square was once more abuzz as the Festival celebrated the world premiere of Matty Brown’s THE SANDCASTLE with a gala screening, with key cast and crew dazzling under the lights.
The filmmakers and stars of MARIA and FRONT ROW also celebrated their films’ MENA premieres with gala screenings – with Jomana R. Alrashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation – in attendance at the latter, while SOMEBODY and SABA celebrated their MENA premieres.
There was an International Premiere for 6 AM and also a world premiere of SAIFY, in addition to screenings of classic masterpieces, Michael Mann’s HEAT and Mona Zaki-led SMILE THE PHOTO COMES OUT BETTER, with the 2024 RSIFF Honouree herself joining the other films’ stars and filmmakers to mark the occasion.
Seeking Magic in the Souk
The first industry screening took place today, with an interactive screening of Paul Raschid’s terrifying HELLO STRANGER. On the Souk Talks program, a panel led by Saudi AI expert Dr. Fatmah Baothma explored the idea of creative AI partners in the cinema industry, the challenges of AI taking creative jobs, the programs and tools currently used in the industry and the implications for the industry, consumers and the economy as a whole. A panel comprising Diana Williams (CEO & Co-founder of Kinetic Energy Entertainment); Jennifer Howell (Chief Creative Officer at Deep Voodoo) and Chris Jacquemin (Head of Digital Strategy at WME Agency) gave attendees a glimpse into the future – with some hopeful signs for human creativity.
Library Pictures International Director Masha Mogonova also facilitated an insightful discussion around the Korean content boom, gathering experts Hyoun-soo Kim (KOFIC – Korean Film Council – Director of Funding and Support); UM Tae-Hwa (Concrete Utopia – Director and Screenwriter); Woo-Sik Seo (CEO – Barunson C&C) and SOMEBODY director Yeo-Jung Kim to look at the country’s unique selling points and cultural touchstones and talk about how the international industry can develop smarter collaborations with Korea.
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