The discussion shed light on Eloui's focus on telling stories that concern society in Egypt and the Arab world. "Laila is renowned for being versatile in her roles and for her insightful portrayal of Arab women in her movies," the festival's official press release described the Egyptian star who throughout her sparkling career appeared in over 70 movies. The best known among these are A Little Love Much Violence, and The Destiny by Youssef Chahine. The former was screened at the festival.

Eloui said, “the power of cinema is undeniable; the film industry has a huge influence on society and the power to change laws. The role I played in The Rapists was a very hard and challenging role and it took an emotional toll on me, but I felt it was imperative that I portray all the ugliness of that story to raise awareness. I am in awe that the movie had a direct impact on changing the law in Egypt with regards to rape and sexual assault to capital punishment."

Born in 1962, Eloui has starred alongside the most famous Egyptian actors like Adel Imam, Ahmed Zaki, and Farid Shawky.

The Red Sea Film Festival is taking place place between 6 and 15 December in Jeddah.

The festival was originally scheduled for March 2020, but it was postponed until 11 November 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, before being pushed to 6 December.

Eleven programme sections showcase contemporary international and Arab cinema, Saudi features, shorts and experimental films, retrospectives, and future-oriented AR and VR experiences.

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