Baz Luhrmann to lead Red Sea International Film Festival jury
What's the story
Acclaimed filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has been named the head of the features competition jury at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
The festival's third edition will take place from November 30 to December 9 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, showcasing films from the Arab region, Asia, and Africa.
Luhrmann, known for The Great Gatsby (2013), called it "an honor" to be presiding over this year's RSIFF jury.
Announcement
'Baz is a pioneer of pop culture...it's a great honor'
Describing Luhrmann as a "legendary Academy Award-nominated auteur," the festival organizers highlighted his distinguished career in their announcement post.
Notably, his most recent film, Elvis became the second-highest-grossing musical biopic of all time on a global scale.
Mohammed Al Turki, the CEO of the Red Sea IFF shared, "Baz is a pioneer of pop culture...it's a great honor to have him head our third edition jury presidency."
Twitter Post
Twitter Post
أسطورة صناعة السينما العالمية باز لورمان يرأس لجنة تحكيم مسابقة الأفلام الروائية في الدورة الثالثة من #مهرجان_البحر_الأحمر_السينمائي_الدولي
— RedSeaFilm (@RedSeaFilm) September 26, 2023
Legendary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has been chosen to preside over the Red Sea International Film Festival’s Features Competition Jury. pic.twitter.com/wDuW7BuBY0
Statement
'I felt truly inspired by the remarkable young filmmaking talent...'
The director expressed his excitement about his role as the Jury President.
In a statement, he shared, "I was mesmerized by the powerful historical and physical landscapes of Lawrence of Arabia."
He recalled his visit to Saudi Arabia leaving him genuinely inspired. "After visiting Saudi Arabia, I felt truly inspired by the remarkable young filmmaking talent coming up across the region."
Details
More about Red Sea Film Festival's features competition
The RSIFF's features competition aims to highlight the best work from a diverse range of filmmakers across the Arab region, Asia, and Africa.
The 17 films in competition will vie for the prestigious Yusr Awards, which will be selected by Luhrmann and the esteemed jury.
In 2022, Hanging Gardens, directed by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji, won the coveted award.
Zurich Film Festival
Meanwhile, Anton Corbijn will head Zurich Film Festival jury
In another recent update, Netherlands photographer and director, Anton Corbjin has been named as the president of the main feature film jury for the upcoming Zurich Film Festival.
"Corbjin presented his film Life about James Dean at ZFF eight years ago, now we're delighted that the world-famous director and photographer is returning to preside over the feature film jury," Christian Jungen, the director of ZFF, stated.
This film festival is scheduled to run from September 28 to October 8.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the jury announcement post
These are the jury presidents: #FeatureFilmCompetition Photographer and film director Anton Corbijn, #FocusCompetition Oscar winner Malte Grunert, #DocumentaryCompetition Oscar winner Feras Fayyad. All the jury members: https://t.co/YIQ9QIj0Kj pic.twitter.com/YSzYX4AQhg
— Zurich Film Festival (@zurichfilmfest) September 26, 2023