Pandya Malhotra built the Red Sea International Film Festival from scratch in the ancient city of Jeddah, located in Saudi Arabia, a country that had only recently lifted a 35-year ban on commercial movie theaters. In its second year, the fest hosted nearly 40,000 filmgoers and 4,345 film professionals over 10 days in December 2022 and boasted a jury hosted by Oliver Stone. For this year’s edition in November, subtitled “Your Story, Your Festival,” she had the added challenge of putting on a high-profile public event less than 800 miles from the heart of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Still, she managed to secure Baz Luhrmann as president of the jury and schedule a lineup of films including Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters” and director-star Maïwenn’s period drama “Jeanne du Barry,” co-starring Johnny Depp, one of the 170 films supported by the Red Sea Fund.
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV%2Baxaavjqyfoq6Ro7ZuvMCnm7KZXaKurbTOramaZw%3D%3D