In less than a year since its inaugural edition, the Red Sea International Film Festival has become synonymous with glamour but also great woman-power. From its organization to its events, both in Saudi Arabia and around the world, there is a real sense of women being celebrated for their talent but also their beauty. I often distrust entities that seem to only concentrate on one or the other, as women everywhere I'm sure, we love to be admired for a combination of both.
This past weekend, in ‘Celebration of Women in Cinema’, the Red Sea International Film Festival (RedSeaIFF), hosted a gala event at the 75th Cannes International Film Festival on the grounds of the magnificent Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes.
The ‘Celebration of Women in Cinema’ gala event recognizes and celebrates female filmmakers' -- both in front and behind the camera and their incredible work being showcased on the Festival circuit. This is central to the Red Sea’s mission to empower talented women both in front and behind the camera to positively impact the future of the film industry and inspire a future generation of female creatives. During the glamorous evening, Mohammed Al Turki; Red Sea's CEO and Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Red Sea's Managing Director welcomed an array of film, TV, and fashion talent from around the world including Valeria Golino Jury President of the Un Certain Regard and Rossy de Palma President of the Jury of the Caméra d'or at the 75th Cannes International Film Festival. But also Naomie Harris, Laetitia Casta, Tahar Rahim, Miky Lee, Gurinder Chadha, Kaouther Ben Hania, Naomi Campbell, Camille Razat, Sasha Luss, Anja Rubik, Lily Donaldson, Fatima Al Banawi, Ahd Kamel, Alex Pettyfer, Toni Garrn, Yasmine Sabri, Tara Emad and Salma Abu Dief.
During the event Suki Waterhouse gave a private concert, with friends Riz Ahmed and Poppy Delevingne joining to support their friend, Saudi Arabia's first female DJ Nouf Sufyani -- better known as Cosmicat and fresh face on the Parisian electronic scene DJ FIONA had guests flocking to the dance floor.
Shivani Pandya said: “The Red Sea International Film Festival is dedicated to championing women in the film industry. Our inaugural edition showcased 136 films of which 38% were directed by women and we hope to expand on that figure this year. Our goal is to drive the industry to showcase more unique stories and perspectives from a new wave of female voices from the region, and celebrate the power of positive female storytelling that resonates with audiences not just in the Arab world, but across the globe.”
Mohammed Al Turki added: “This is an opportunity for the Red Sea International Film Festival to pay homage to the incredible female talent in the Cannes line-up this year. We are committed to supporting and raising the visibility of exciting new voices from the Arab world through our Festival platform so they can make their mark on audiences and critics alike around the world.”
Our winner for favourite dress of the evening is the Valentino gown from the Maison's Fall Winter 22/23 Pink PP collection, worn by supermodel Naomi Campbell in the header and image above.
The second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will run in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from December 1-10, 2022.
All photos by Getty Images, courtesy of the Red Sea IFF, used with permission.
