The Red Sea Film Foundation has teamed up with TIFF’s Conference Centre to host a panel on September 9, exploring the complexities of collaborating with the Arab world and the opportunities such partnerships can bring.
The Red Sea Film Foundation (RedSeaFF) has a presence at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with three Red Sea-supported films featured in the lineup. To a Land Unknown and Front Row will screen in TIFF’s Centrepiece section, while Sudan, Remember Us will be shown in the Docs section. Additionally, Red Sea FF will host a panel on Monday, August 9, titled Bridging Cinematic Cultures: Making Films with the Arab World.
To a Land Unknown, directed by Danish-Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel, explores forced migration through the lives of two displaced cousins and received backing from the Red Sea Souk in 2023. Front Row, an Algerian family dramedy by Merzak Allouache about feuding matriarchs at the beach, was supported by the Red Sea Fund during production. Sudan, Remember Us, directed by Hind Meddeb, is a documentary following five young Sudanese political activists amid the civil war and will be showcased in the Docs section.
On September 9, the RedSeaFF will also collaborate with TIFF’s Conference Centre to host a panel discussing cross-cultural filmmaking with the Arab world. Titled Bridging Cinematic Cultures: Making Films with the Arab World, the panel will feature insights from RedSeaFF Managing Director Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Cercamon founder Sebastien Chesneau, director Hind Meddeb and OFFSHORE founder and producer Fabrice Préel-Cléach. The discussion will offer advice and experiences for filmmakers looking to collaborate internationally or expand their audience reach.
Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of Red Sea Foundation said: “Our Red Sea-supported films at TIFF this year depict the breadth of talent from across the Arab and African regions, showcasing the spectrum of genres and themes that these talented directors are bringing to the international stage. From across our Souk programme and with our Fund, it’s an honour to provide support to projects through the different stages of their lifecycle, as we continue to spotlight the work of established and emerging talent in Saudi Arabia, Asia and Africa.”
The fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will run in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from December 5 – 14, 2024.
