The Red Sea Film Foundation will present a “dynamic” line-up at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, it has announced.
Six Red Sea-supported films will show at the festival, which will “reflect the calibre of creative talent and ambition of the filmmakers we support”, the Foundation’s CEO Faisal Baltyuor revealed.
The full list of films showing at TIFF is available below:
- Damien Hauser’s Memory of Princess Mumbi, Momoko Seto’s Dandelion’s Odyssey, and Mohamed Al-Daradji’s Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream in TIFF’s Centrepiece programme
- Ghost School by Seemab Gul and Sink by Zain Duraie in the Discovery section
- Palestine 36 by Annemarie Jacir for a Gala screening
Zain Duraie’s debut feature Sink is a powerful portrait of a mother struggling with her son’s unravelling mental state, and was supported by all stages of Red Sea FF’s film incubation and funding ecosystem: having been developed at the Feature Films Program (formerly known as The Lodge), taking part in the Souk and supported by the Fund.
Also supported by the Red Sea’s Fund and Souk, Memory of Princess Mumbi, directed by Damien Hauser, is set in Umata, a futuristic African country, and recounts a love triangle between a film director, an aspiring actress, and a prince.
A further Souk-supported title, Momoko Seto’s Dandelion’s Odyssey, follows four dandelion achenes as they escape the nuclear destruction of Earth.
Receiving support from the Red Sea Fund is Palestine 36 by Annemarie Jacir, which charts the lives and ambitions of those living under British rule in the 1930s, as well as Seemab Gul’s Ghost School, which follows 10‑year‑old Rabia as she defies rural superstition and bureaucratic neglect to uncover why her school abruptly closed, and Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream by Mohamed Al-Daradji, a heartbreaking epic tale about war orphans trying to survive in a completely destroyed city.
Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said: “Seeing so many Red Sea-supported films selected across TIFF’s prestigious programming is a powerful moment for the Foundation, and it highlights how strategic investment in, and championing of, regional talent can create world-class cinema with global resonance.
“These six films reflect the calibre of creative talent and ambition of the filmmakers we support, as well as the diversity of the stories coming out of the region–from motherhood and family to explorations of nature and the far-distant future.
“We’re committed to continuing to nurture storytellers from the Arab world and beyond, and helping them reach international audiences is an incredible privilege.”
Baltyuor will also participate in TIFF’s industry programme, appearing on a panel exploring how films from the Middle East and North Africa are making waves on the global stage.
The panel brings together key producers and filmmakers to share how they are navigating today’s marketplace, positioning their work globally, and leveraging regional stories for international success, and features Baltyuor alongside filmmakers Seyhmus Altun (As We Breathe), Zain Duraie (Sink) and Haifaa Al Mansour (Unidentified).
This news follows the Foundation’s announcement of its 2025 programming team for the Red Sea International Film Festival, which will run from 4-13 December 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
