Honorary awards for Michael Caine, Juliette Binoche, and filmmakers Stanley Tong and Rachid Bouchareb kicked off the fifth edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival last night (Thursday, December 4).
“I’m so happy to be here,” said 92-year-old Caine on stage at the ceremony. Caine had been wheeled onto the red carpet by US star Vin Diesel, who later presented him with his award.
“I’ve seen it on television but never won anything here,” added Caine. “I want to thank you for the surprise. In show business, you don’t get many surprises, you get a couple of shocks, and that’s about it.”
In accepting the award, Caine touched on his upbringing, saying, “I find it hard to believe – I’m from a very modest cockney family.”
“Cockney is English for working-class morons, of which I am one,” he quipped.
He was joined at the ceremony by his daughters Natasha and Dominique, in the crowd, and grandchildren Taylor, Alegra and Miles, who wheeled him on stage.
The opening ceremony got underway more than one hour later than scheduled, starting after 9pm local time.
Early Hollywood
Red Sea again brought out a constellation of US and international stars for its opening, with Uma Thurman, Kirsten Dunst, Dakota Johnson, Jessica Alba, Ana de Armas, Queen Latifah, Darren Aronofsky and Adrien Brody among those in attendance.
Competition jury president Sean Baker spoke glowingly of the progress of the Saudi industry.
“None of us were around in the early days of Hollywood, when possibilities must have seemed endless,” said Baker, who won four Oscars including best picture for his film Anora earlier this year. “But we are here now, witnessing what can be seen as the one place on earth where cinema is burgeoning, growing and evolving.
“To think that in five short years, an ecosystem has been created to train regional talent and develop an infrastructure for local and global film production is just incredible.
Baker then turned his attention to the country’s exhibition sector. “While we are fighting to save screens in the US – and trust me, I’m fighting on a daily basis, we are losing them rapidly – in five years, hundreds of cinemas have opened here, with 650 new screens. That makes Saudi the fastest-growing box office in the world.
“So as a cinephile whose world is movies, the leaps and bounds happening here in the art form and industry are exciting, inspirational and heartwarming.”
Baker thanked his fellow jurors Riz Ahmed, Naomie Harris, Olga Kurylenko – and especially Nadine Labaki, who he said changed his life by being part of the Cannes jury that awarded Anora the Palme d’Or in 2024.
The festival played a clip reel from Baker’s feature films, several of which depict sex workers and queer people, including 2015’s Tangerine.
Binoche became emotional when accepting her honorary award, saying “I’m not going to cry” and leaning back from the microphone.
“Being in an international film festival is very special,” said the French actress, noting “a lot of different people coming from different mindsets and traditions – it just opens your heart even more.”
Audience
The numerous speakers on the night also included Red Sea Film Foundation chairwoman Jomana R. Alrashid, who said that the Foundation has again backed seven of the international feature Oscar entries; and Saudi minister of culture Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud.
Director Rowan Athale and actor Amir El-Masry took to the stage to present opening night film Giant, about the rise of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem Hamed, who was in attendance. “I’m incredibly honoured to be amongst my peers, my friends,” said El-Masry, who was named a Screen UK-Ireland Star of Tomorrow in 2021. “I’m a product of the West and the Middle East in this industry, so I’m deeply honoured.”
Audience retention at opening night remains a point of difference between Red Sea and many film festivals in the Western world. Despite attendees receiving a card with their invitation asking them to stay for the opening film, a significant number of guests departed the auditorium prior to the beginning of the screening at 22.20; with the 868-capacity room below 20% attendance by the time the film finished.
The film was well-received by those who stayed, including its depiction of Muslim identity in Britain, and jokes about attending the Hajj pilgrimage, at a festival just 80km from Mecca itself.
A buffet dinner was served in the garden area during and after the screening, with musical and DJ performances.
Red Sea runs until Saturday, December 13.
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