“Home” is the theme of the 4th edition of the Red Sea Film Festival as it returns to its original location, but in a sleek custom-built venue, in the recently renovated Al-Balad district in Jeddah, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Kaleem Aftab, the fest’s head of international programming, says that home is a fitting theme for this year’s edition since the festival increasingly serves as a key platform for Africa, Arab and Asian cinema, and its impact is now all-year-round through the work of the Red Sea Film Foundation.
“We’re focusing on what we can achieve as a foundation rather than just as a festival,” he explains, adding that 11 of the 122 films screening at this year’s edition have been developed within the Red Sea eco-system, including the opening film, “The Tale of Daye’s Family,” which is a Saudi Egyptian co-production.
“We are the best place in the [Middle East and North Africa] region to find the most challenging and also the most accessible films, and those that ask the audience questions about what kind of film they want to see,” he says.
Aftab is delighted that the festival is high on the radar of international filmmakers, making it possible to host the festival premiere of Gabriele Salvatores’ “Naples-New York,” based on Federico Fellini’s screenplay, and also screen films such as R. T. Thorne’s dystopian thriller “40 Acres,” which had its world premiere at Toronto, Sarah Friedland’s “Familiar Touch,” which won three awards at Venice, and Guan Hu’s “Black Dog,” which won Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The Red Sea Fund now serves as the lynchpin of many Saudi coproductions and has supported major local box office hits such as “Mandoob,” which had its world premiere at Toronto, and genre pic “Naga.” The fund works closely with distributors in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region.
“The fact that we have built such a strong synergy between all our operations is what is making Red Sea stand out, I feel like we’re already an example to some other foundations and festivals,” Aftab says.
Films screening at this year’s fest that have benefited from Red Sea support include “To Kill a Mongolian Horse,” which Aftab says he spotted during the rough cut stage: “It became a handpicked Asian project because it needed some completion funding.”
Aftab considers that the festival has had an important impact in terms of introducing Saudi audiences to new films from Africa, the Middle East and increasingly from Asia.
“Saudi Arabia has a population of 35 million people, with very varied and wide interests and we can play a key role in broadening the range of available options both within the country and the wider MENA region. We have two main roles – one is to support cinema in general and the other is to try to also foster different types of cinema.
“Traditionally the big films have come from India, Egypt and Hollywood, and to some extent, primarily on television, from Korea, through K-Pop. But if we can get audiences interested in different films, such as the Nigerian films ‘Freedom Way’ and ‘The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos,’ or the Mexican documentary ‘State of Silence,’ we can open up new opportunities for audiences and filmmakers.”
Asked about whether censorship ever poses a problem for his selection of films, Aftab explains that “I have never asked a director to cut their films in the international program. I always try to make a selection that pushes the boundaries, but we also want to be a bridge to cultures. I make choices based on what I feel the audience will be excited about. In general, I’m interested in screening films that can also play in the commercial circuit, but that never limits my choices.”
Aftab praises the bold vision of the 16 films in Official Selection, and cites examples such as “To Kill a Mongolian Horse,” which raises issues of border disputes between Mongolia and China, the Iranian film, “6 AM,” which deals with the question of state control, the Chinese film “My Friend An Delie,” about coping with trauma, Bangladeshi social drama “Saba,” about women’s rights, and the Cape Verdean pic “Hanami,” about the temptations of emigration.
“For me, a film that perfectly captures the nuances associated to this year’s selection is the Afghan film ‘Sima’s Song,’ by Roya Sadat,” he explains. “Because it says that women’s rights were perhaps further developed under the Russian regime, and American geopolitical involvement actually led to their rights being pushed back.”
Aftab views films from Africa, Asia and the Arab world as key potential growth areas for cinema, both in terms of festival and box office success. He concludes: “I feel like some of the work that the Red Sea has been doing, especially in Africa, and what we’re looking to do in Asia, is providing a platform for voices that will offer an alternative gaze at the world, and I think that’s going to be more and more interesting as the years go on.”
The Red Sea Film Festival runs Dec. 5-14 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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