The Red Sea Film Foundation (Red Sea FF) has a vibrant programme at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF),with Red Sea supported films To a Land Unknown and Front Row selected to screen in TIFF’s Centrepiece lineup, and Sudan, Remember Us playing in its Docs section. Red Sea FF are also hosting a panel on Monday 9th August on Bridging Cinematic Cultures: Making Films with the Arab World.
To a Land Unknown is a narrative feature by Danish-Palestinian director Mahdi Fleifel that tells the story of forced migration through the eyes of two displaced cousins, and received support via the Red Sea Souk in its 2023 Project Market. Additionally, director Merzak Allouache’s Front Row was supported by the Red Sea Fund in its production phase, and is an Algerian family dramedy about feuding matriarchs at the beach and the fight for the coveted front-row spots. Hind Meddeb’s Sudan, Remember Uswill be screening in TIFF’s Docs section – a civil war documentary that follows five young Sudanese political activists that was also supported by the Red Sea FF.
In addition, the Red Sea FF is partnering with TIFF’s Conference Centre to host a panel at 2pm on Monday 9th August, which will explore the intricacies of working with the Arab World and the successes these engagements can offer. Experts will offer guidance and share experiences for those interested in cross-cultural collaborations, reaching new audiences or building an international profile for their projects. The panel will feature Red Sea Film Foundation’s Managing Director Shivani Pandya Malhotra, alongside Founder of Dubai based film sales outfit Cercamon, Sebastien Chesneau; Paris based filmmaker Hind Meddeb (Sudan, Remember Us, De Casa Au Paradis, Paris Stalingrad); and Founder and Producer of OFFSHORE Fabrice Préel-Cléach.
Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of the 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 program 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 third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will run in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from December 5th - 14th 2024.
