The Red Sea Film Festival Foundation’s chairwoman Jomana Alrashid delivered a welcome speech.
During her speech, Al-Rashid congratulated the seven women directors competing at the RSIFF: Denise Fernandes with her film Hanami, Kurdwin Ayub with Moon, Maram Taibah with Malika, Reema Katgi with Superboys of Malageon, Roya Sadat with Sima’s Song, Taghrid Abouelhassan with Snow White, and Xiaoxuan Jiang with To Kill a Mongolian Horse.
Tunisian Egyptian actress and producer Hend Sabri also introduced the gala with a speech about the importance of women's roles in the film industry.
After that, Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh and award-winning actress and producer Eva Longoria also gave speeches.
Moreover, prominent female figures, including Mona Zaki, Amina Khalil, Yasmine Sabri, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Emily Blunt, attended the gala.
In this edition, Zaki is a featured speaker at the In Conversation With segment.
The RSIFF's fourth edition, from 5 to 14 December, is held at its new venue in the Al-Balad district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jeddah.
The festival is organized by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, the first Saudi independent non-profit organization with an official mandate to promote film culture.
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