Baz Luhrmann to lead Red Sea International Film Festival jury
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.
'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."
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'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."
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.
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.
