Viola Davis and Mona Zaki to be Honoured at the Festival’s Fourth Edition
The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) has today announced at the press conference for its fourth edition the first two Red Sea Honourees who will be celebrated at the Festival, running in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from December 5th – 14th 2024.
Award-winning Egyptian actor Mona Zaki (Flight 404, Abserb: The Squadron) will be an honouree at the Festival’s prestigious opening ceremony, celebrating her achievements and distinguished career in Arab cinema and beyond. During RSIFF’s awards ceremony the festival will also honour Academy Award winner Viola Davis (The Woman King, Fences), highlighting her incredible career to date as both an actor, producer, and co-founder of JVL Media a full-service production/media packaging firm and publishing house she co-founded with Julius Tennon and Lavaille Lavette. JVL Media will also feature in the Souk talks programming – exploring storytelling trends, funding and connecting diverse cultures beyond the screen.
RSIFF’s In Conversation series welcomes special guests from all over the world to share insights and have meaningful discussions about their practice, passions and stories. Both Zaki and Davis will also participate in the Festival’s In Conversation strand.
Jomana Al Rashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation said: “Our Foundation has long been dedicated to championing the female voice in film, so it feels especially meaningful that our first two honorees this year are two legendary women in cinema: Mona Zaki and Viola Davis. Both are not only immensely talented artists but also passionate advocates beyond their craft. We are thrilled to welcome them both to Jeddah.”
“I am deeply honored to be recognized alongside such phenomenal talent,” said Viola Davis, “As a producer who is personally passionate about championing diverse narratives – I’m excited to collaborate with Red Sea to reach new audiences, and create a global platform for meaningful cultural exchange.”
Mona Zaki said, “I am profoundly grateful for this recognition from the Red Sea Festival. I have closely followed and admired the many cultural achievements, particularly in cinematography, that have emerged in Saudi Arabia and through the Red Sea Film Festival. I look forward to the festival and to celebrate the magic of filmmaking with everyone from across the world.”
The Festival is supported by Principal Sponsors: Visit Saudi, MBC, and Genesis Mohamad Yusuf AlNaghi; Official Sponsors: Film AlUla, SRMG, Chopard, SAUDIA, and TikTok; Strategic Sponsors of the Red Sea Souk: NEOM and Cultural Development Fund; and Support Sponsors Nova, Mermaid and Telfaz.
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