Bollywood diva non pariel Rekha, Academy Award-winning trailblazing director Sean Baker to add glitz and glamour to film fest. Baker will grace as Features Jury President, while iconic actress Rekha will make rare appearance at International Premiere Of Restored 1981 Classic Umrao Jaan, with director Muzaffar Ali.

“Going to the cinema is like returning to the womb; you sit there, still and meditative in the darkness, waiting for life to appear on the screen.” – Federico Fellini

S Viswanath

The stage is all set for the ten-day gala Red Sea International Film Festival 2025, as Al Balad, the historic district of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, takes Arabian Nights hue welcoming cinephiles as they descend in droves for their annual Hajj to soak in crème la crème of cinemas lighting up Vox Cinemas screens from December 4 on till December 13, 2025.

Yes. The fifth edition of the prestigious and much eagerly awaited Red Sea International Film Festival, which took wings in 2019, will see an array of contemporary cinemas from Arab world, Asia and African continents vying for honours and covet the attention of cine buffs and aficionados along with rest of celebrated cinematic works from the world over.

Taking on the signature thematic tagline of “For The Love of Cinema” the Red Sea International Film Festival, which birthed to fete and foster the rising cinematic excellence from Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, promises a sumptuous smorgasbord of scintillating cinemas as it pitches to centre stage the promising and prodigious aspirational talents from Saudi Arabia, the Arab hemisphere and the rest of the global movie marquee.

Besides celebrating multifarious menagerie of movies and innovative thematic works, the Red Sea Film Festival which has studiously and solidly sought to provide a firm foundation for the entertainment industry in the Arabian Peninsula will see and witness the famed UNESCO’s World Heritage Site come alive transforming itself into a cultural cosmos for storytelling, creativity, and global talent, as the curated creamy pick of creative cinematic works from the Persian Gulf, as also much accoladed and awarded and anticipated titles from the rest of the world.

While the first edition was held in the old town of Jeddah from December 6 -15 December 2021, the second edition of the festival was held between December 1 and 10 2022, with the fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) taking place from December 4 to 13 at Jeddah’s historic Al Balad district.

The brainchild of the Red Sea Film Foundation, an independent, not for profit institution, the RSIFF was conceived with the idea of fostering and furthering the film sector in Saudi Arabia, Arab world, Asia and Africa, with its initiatives intricately aligned with Saudi Arabia’s plans for nurturing film and culture, as a coliseum of thriving cultural scene. transforming Saudi Arabia into a prominent global hub for film and a platform for storytellers.

Though originally planned in March 2020, it was deferred due to COVID-19 pandemic with the first edition being flagged off in November 2021. The Red Sea Film Festival Foundation is chaired by Jomana Alrashid Chief Executive Officer of the Research and Media Group – SRMG.

Red Sea Film Foundation’s other flagship initiatives include the Red Sea Fund, Red Sea Labs, the Red Sea Souk, all aimed to champion and support filmmakers in bringing their visions to life and presenting their films on a global stage.

Driven by the visionary leadership team of Chairperson Jomana R. Alrashid, CEO Faisal Baltyuor and Managing Director Shivani Pandya Malhotra, RSIFF as an international Saudi platform celebrates excellence in film, opening its vistas to the world while embracing the vibrant creative energy of Jeddah, the Kingdom, and the Arab region as a whole, presenting programmes for film lovers, filmmakers, and the industry as a whole. So much so, the RSIFF ensures there is something for everyone; from local creatives, cinephiles, and families, to international industry professionals curious about the inside track on this new market.

The fifth edition’s all-embracing features competition which assimilates all cinematic formats, narrative to animation and documentary, featuring films from Asia and Africa, including the Arab world, will see 16 features will vie for the coveted Yusr Awards, with the winners being selected by Jury President Sean Baker and his highly esteemed ensemble jury team.

On bringing on board Sean Baker Read Sea Film Foundation CEO Faisal Baltyuorsaid: “Sean Baker is a trailblazing director whose dedication to championing authentic and meaningful storytelling through film is truly inspiring. We deeply admire his commitment to independent filmmaking. We are very proud to be bringing him on board to lead our features jury this year, fresh off his record-breaking success at the 2025 Academy Awards for our very special 5th edition.”

On his part, Sean Baker in his acceptance of the onerous responsibility observed “it’s an honour to serve as Jury President for Red Sea International Film Festival this year, taking the baton from Spike Lee. I’ve long admired how the festival champions bold, diverse voices from across the globe, and this year’s Feature Competition showcases some of the most daring and exciting new voices from the Arab world, Africa and Asia. Festivals like Red Sea IFF give independent films a vital platform and connect them with a global audience, I’m thrilled to be part of that celebration of cinema and look forward to engaging with the incredible titles in the competition line-up.”

Incidentally, hotting up the glamour quotient will be India’s and Bollywood’s very own Rekha with inimitable idolised actress making a rare appearance to present her restored 1981 classic ‘Umrao Jaan’ in its international premiere along with its director Muzaffar Ali.

“Umrao Jaan is intrinsically woven into the very fabric of my soul,” said Rekha in a statement. “She is not just a character; she serves as a mirror reflecting the depths of my emotions and dreams. In fact, one could say that she mirrors my soul through the echoes of many lifetimes, portraying a narrative that transcends millions of heartbeats. The opportunity for this soulful film to find a new life after 45 years and connect with a fresh audience at the prestigious Red Sea Film Festival is exhilarating and profoundly meaningful. And witnessing an unprecedented moment when a 1981 classic, Umrao Jaan, is featured in the Festival’s Treasures strand alongside a film by the luminary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock is not only a blessing but humbling to the core.”

Umrao Jaan is an adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s 1899 Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada, a classic of Indian cinema immortalised by the music of Khayyam, the Urdu poetry of Shahryar, Asha Bhosle, and the exquisite beauty and iconic performance by Rekha in the lead role.

“To discover an audience today that still resonates deeply with the narrative and emotional core of this film fills my heart with unparalleled joy, pride and a sense of hope for the future,’ she effused adding, ‘it reassures me that there will always be stories and emotions that do not merely fade with the passage of time, but instead linger in the gentle whispers of the wind and the shifting sands of memory. These timeless tales wait patiently for the right moment to burst forth, capturing the imaginations of new generations and allowing them to be rediscovered and appreciated in all their glory.

“For this remarkable phenomenon, I am eternally grateful, as it highlights the universality of human experience, reminding us that while time may change our circumstances, the essence of our stories—and the emotions they evoke are written on every wave of the sea, every particle of sand, every relic, every stone, every cloud in the sky and every shining star from here to eternity…and that is Umrao Jaan.”

The 5th Edition of RSIFF will open with Giant a sports boxing biopic about British-Yemeni world champion Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed. Directed by Rowan Athale the film charts Hamed’s rise from humble beginnings in Sheffield to global fame, confronting the racism and Islamophobia prevalent in parts of Britain in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Our selection of Giant as the opening film of the fifth edition embodies an artistic celebration of regional talents who have established their presence on the global film scene,” notes Faisal Baltyuor.

The the16-strong competition lineup includes eight international titles, and eight films from the Middle East region. The scroll presents a diverse selection of 16 titles from the Arab world, Africa and Asia, besides number of films that are contending for the 2026 Oscar (Academy) Awards.

The competition line-up includes Hijra by Saudi Arabian Director Shahad Ameen, which follows three generations of women on a journey from Taif to Makkah; A Sad and Beautiful World by Lebanese filmmaker Cyril Aris, a love story spanning decades in Beirut; and All That’s Left of You by Cherien Dabis, tracing three generations of Palestinians shaped by the Nakba.

Other entries include Allah Is Not Obliged, a Franco-Luxembourg-Belgian-Canadian-Saudi animated adaptation of Ahmadou Kourouma’s novel; Barni, a Somali-Djiboutian-American drama by Mohammed Sheikh; and Irkalla: Dreams of Gilgamesh by Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, set amid the streets of Baghdad. The competition also sees Lost Land by Akio Fujimoto, the first Rohingya-language feature; Black Rabbit, White Rabbit by Shahram Mokri; Sink by Zain Duraie; Roqia by Yanis Koussim; The Stories by Abu Bakr Shawky; The World of Love by Yoon Ga-eun; Truck Mama by Zippy Nyaruri; Nighttime Sounds by Zhang Zhongchen; and Two Seasons, Two Strangers by Sho Miyake.

The festival’s last year them was The New Home of Film as RSIFF rejoiced its return to the historical Ground Zero site which saw a record breaking participation with over 40,000 attendees and 7,000 accredited guests and went on to showcase 122 films from 85 countries which saw a total of 302 screenings with 61 premieres that included 46 world premieres, 15 international premieres and 53 MENA premieres, all going to reinforce RSIFF’s stature and standing as a major cultural and mega movie jamboree where the best in the business jostled for recognition and rewarding experience.

S VISWANATH is a veteran film critic who officiates as JURY at several National & International Film Festivals. He deputises as CHIEF CINEMA CURATOR/PROGRAMMER & CREATIVE ADVISOR for Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes). He also curates & advises on the selection of shorts & documentaries for Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF). Mr Viswanath is the author of “RANDOM REFLECTIONS: A Kaleidoscopic Musings on Kannada Cinema”.