Filmmaker Spike Lee will preside over The Red Sea International Film Festival’s Features competition jury this year. The fourth edition of the festival will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from December 5 to 14, 2024, in Jeddah’s Old Town of Al Balad.
The competition will showcase titles from a diverse range of filmmakers from the Arab region, Asia and Africa. 16 features have been selected with the winners being selected by Lee and the jury to receive the Yusr Awards.
Lee will also participate in the Festival’s In Conversation strand, which welcomes industry experts to share insights about their practice, passions and stories.
Jomana Al Rashid, chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said: “Looking towards our fourth edition, we’re honored to welcome the legendary Spike Lee as our President of Jury for the festival this year. Spike is a pioneering director whose iconic work has made a lasting impact on both film as a medium and culture at large. His energy, incisiveness and genuine championing of creativity and new voices makes him an ideal fit to lead our jury for this year — we look forward to him engaging with the burgeoning talent in our competition line up.”
Spike Lee added: “Having been lucky enough to experience first-hand the incredible filmmaking, atmosphere and creativity at the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2022, it’s a privilege to be returning this year as President of the Jury. Alongside creating a melting pot for cultures to come together in celebration of our important art-form, it’s vital to continue to platform young and emerging filmmakers who are finding their voice in the industry, and it’s exciting to see first-time directors from across the Arab region, Asia and Africa as part of the Competition lineup this year. I’m looking forward to diving in to the programme and making what I’m sure will be some very tough decisions alongside the leading luminaries on the jury.”
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