The Red Sea International Film Festival has officially kicked off its fourth edition as A-listers and international auteurs converged in Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city for a decidedly glamorous opening ceremony.
Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, Eva Longoria, Michelle Yeo, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in a flowing blue sky gown and cape, Squid Game breakout Hoyeon, Michelle Rodriguez, Bollywood star Aamir Khan, competition jury president Spike Lee, action stars Will Smith and Vin Diesel, Kareena Kapoor, Saudi actor Khaled Yeslam and Daniel Dae Kim were among the global stars in lavish outfits at the opening gala on Thursday night.
The glamorous event saw the stars converge on the main building of the city’s new Culture Square that mixes traditional architecture and modern technology. The site is being touted as “the new home of film” in Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.
Most A-listers took time to pose for the paparazzi and take selfies with fans amid the UNESCO heritage site.
Rodriguez had former Red Sea Film Foundation CEO Mohammed Al Turki in tow and talked to groups of reporters on the red carpet, mentioning a possible future project.
“I have an indie movie I have my eye on. It’s with [writer-director-producer] Ben Younger [Boiler Room],” she said in response to one question. “He introduced me to a script that I fell in love with about a girl on a plane, and I find it really interesting. It’s a truly independent film, so it’ll be different.”
For others, such as Lee and Douglas, Thursday’s red carpet was an opportunity to reconnect.
Plus, fashion statements were made. For example, Blunt, Erivo and Yeoh’s outfits, among others, earned rave reviews from red-carpet onlookers.
Michelle Yeoh attends the Opening Ceremony at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2024 on December 05, 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Darren Arthur/Getty Images
Many of the stars received warm welcomes. That included surprise opening gala attendee Diesel, who lived up to his reputation for being fast, although not furious, as he rushed across the carpet and responded to his name being called out with smiles and thumbs-ups.
The same was true for Smith who, along the likes of Johnny Depp, had been a key presence at last year’s RSIFF, walking the 2023 opening-night carpet and talking about the sequel to I Am Legend during an In Conversation With session. He also shared insight into past “mistakes,” including the infamous Oscar slap, and his state of mind.
Blunt, who appeared earlier in the day in a jam-packed In Conversation With event as part of the festival, and Khan received the Red Sea Honoree Award at the opening gala. The honor is for “prominent cinematic figures and icons who contributed to shaping the history of cinema as we know it today and immortalized it in the hearts of the masses.”
Following the opening film, RSIFF attendees enjoyed food and musical entertainment from DJs Loush, Hamaki and Nooriyah at the official opening party.
