Kaleem Aftab wants to make the Red Sea Festival a “home” for world cinema

“Home” is the theme of the 4th edition of the Red Sea Film Festival, which returns to its original location, but in an elegant, purpose-built venue, in the recently renovated Al-Balad district in Jeddah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kaleem Aftab, head of the festival’s international program, says that home is a fitting theme for this year’s edition, as the festival is increasingly acting as an important platform for African, Arab and Asian cinema and its impact is now felt throughout the year Red Sea Film Foundation.

“We are focused on what we can achieve as a foundation and not just as a festival,” he explains, adding that 11 of the 122 films screened at this year’s edition were developed in the Red Sea ecosystem, including the Opening film “The Tale of Daye’s Family”, a Saudi-Egyptian co-production.

“We are the best place in the region (Middle East and North Africa) to find the most challenging yet accessible films, and those that ask the audience questions about what kind of film they want to see,” he says.

Aftab is pleased that the festival has a high reputation among international filmmakers, which makes it possible to host the festival premiere of Gabriele Salvatores’ “Naples-New York” based on the screenplay by Federico Fellini and also films such as the dystopian thriller by RT Thorne show “40 Acres,” which had its world premiere in Toronto, “Familiar Touch” by Sarah Friedland, which won three awards in Venice, and “Black Dog” by Guan Hu, which won the prize “Un Sure” Respect in Cannes.

The Red Sea Fund now serves as the linchpin of many Saudi co-productions and has supported major local box office hits such as “Mandoob,” which had its world premiere in Toronto, and the genre film “Naga.” The fund works closely with distributors in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region.

“The fact that we have built such a strong synergy between all our activities is what sets Red Sea apart. I have the feeling that we are already a role model for some other foundations and festivals,” says Aftab.

Among the films shown at this year’s festival that have benefited from Red Sea support is To Kill a Mongolian Horse, which Aftab says he discovered during the rough editing phase: “It was a hand-picked Asian project because it was a needed some funding for completion.”

Aftab believes the festival has had an important impact in introducing Saudi audiences to new films from Africa, the Middle East and, increasingly, Asia.

“Saudi Arabia has a population of 35 million people with very diverse and broad interests and we can play a key role in expanding the range of options available both within the country and across the MENA region. We have two main tasks: one is to support cinema in general and the other is to try to promote different types of cinema too.

“Traditionally, the big films came from India, Egypt and Hollywood and sometimes, especially on television, from Korea, via K-Pop. But if we can arouse the audience’s interest in different films, such as the Nigerian films “Freedom Way” and “The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos” or the Mexican documentary “State of Silence”, we can open up new opportunities for the audience and Filmmaker.”

When asked if censorship is ever a problem for his film selection, Aftab explains: “I have never asked a director to cut his films in the international program. I always try to make selections that cross borders, but we also want to be a bridge between cultures. I make decisions based on what I think will delight the audience. In general, I’m interested in showing films that can also be shown commercially, but that never limits my selection.”

Aftab praises the bold vision of the 16 films in the official selection, citing examples such as “To Kill a Mongolian Horse,” which raises questions about border disputes between Mongolia and China, and the Iranian film “6 AM,” which addresses state issues Control, the Chinese film “My Friend An Delie” about coping with trauma, the Bangladeshi social drama “Saba” about women’s rights and the Cape Verdean film “Hanami” about the temptations of Emigration.

“For me, the Afghan film ‘Sima’s Song’ by Roya Sadat is a film that perfectly captures the nuances of this year’s selection,” he explains. “Because it says that women’s rights may have been advanced under the Russian regime and that U.S. geopolitical involvement has actually led to their rights being rolled back.”

Aftab sees films from Africa, Asia and the Arab world as important potential growth areas for cinema, both in terms of festival and box office success. He concludes: “I feel that part of the work that the Red Sea has done, particularly in Africa, and what we want to do in Asia, is to provide a platform for voices that unite offer an alternative view of the world. and I think that gets more and more interesting as the years go by.”

The Red Sea Film Festival takes place from December 5th to 14th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.