Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival Kicks Off With Splashy Opening Night Featuring Stars, Bruno Mars Performance

kicked off its second edition on Friday with a splashy gala that alongside Egyptian icon Yousra and a plethora of Arab talent also saw Guy Ritchie, Sharon Stone, and Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan on the red carpet.

Held in the auditorium of the Ritz Carlton hotel in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore, the ceremony served as a strong affirmation of the event’s theme “Film is Everything” and of the special meaning of cinema in a country where, until December 2017, moviegoing was banned for religion-related reasons.

Saudi producer and philanthropist Mohammed Al Turki, who is the event’s CEO, in his speech called the fest and market “a clear indicator of change that plays a crucial role in transforming and reshaping the future for our next generation of creatives.” The opening of the Red Sea fest’s second edition also stands as testimony that organizers are getting their message across and that the international film community is responding positively.

After the ceremony, the fest kicked off in earnest with Shekhar Kapur’s frothy arranged marriage rom-com “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” with Kapur, writer Jemima Khan, and actors Shabana Azmi, Sajal Ali, Jeff Mirza, and DJ and music producer Naughty Boy in tow.performed a live set at the balmy opening party, where hundreds of guests from dozens of countries washed down local specialties with non-alcoholic bubbly, alcohol-free wines and chilled juices.

The first prize is called The Golden Bonesaw

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