The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) announced the dates for its fourth edition on Thursday, 15 February, which occurs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Set to take place in RSIFF’s new headquarters in Al-Balad, the festival’s fourth edition is scheduled to run from 5 December to 14 December 2024. 

The festival’s third edition — which took place from 30 November to 9 December 2023 — showcased 125 films from 75 countries. The Red Sea: The Competition also screened 17 features and 25 short films  — both narrative and documentary features — from around the world. The international jury was presided over and headed up by renowned Australian writer, director, and producer Baz Lurhmann.

The festival also welcomed A-list celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Chris Hemsworth, Guy Ritchie, Luca Guadanino, Oliver Stone, Jason Statham, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Nadine Labaki, Spike Lee, Giuseppe Tornatore, Jackie Chan, Antonio Banderas, Will Smith, Sofia Vergara, Clive Owen, Baz Luhrmann, Michelle Williams, Maiewenn, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Zoe Saldana, Anthony Mackie, Nicolas Cage, Adrien Brody, Andrew Garfield, Hillary Swank, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Sharon Stone, Isabelle Adjani, Frieda Pinto, Catherine Deneuve, Kaouther Ben Hania, and more.

In addition, the festival’s market component Red Sea Souk, the development program Red Sea Lodge, and the Red Sea Film Fund are contributing to Saudi Arabia’s nascent film industry — inspiring a new generation of filmmakers.

In a statement, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation Mohammed Al Turki said “We are still navigating our way being a young Festival and film industry but have been delighted with the feedback from the local community, regional and international guests. We were honored to welcome some of the leading voices in Hollywood, Bollywood, South Korea, Africa, and Arab cinema, sharing their journeys to the big screen with a new generation of Saudi creatives who are capturing the attention of the global film industry.”