The Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled the line-ups for its New Vision, Series and Families & Children strands.
The Red Sea: New Vision strand spotlights 10 films that “stand out with a fresh cinematic vision, addressing unique topics with a lens that will challenge and delight”, Red Sea IFF said.
Among this year’s highlights are Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a compelling story of the trials of motherhood starring Rose Byrne.
Alongside this is In-I In Motion, the award-winning French actor Juliette Binoche’s directorial debut about the staging of her show with dancer Akram Khan, and Rose of Nevada, directed by Mark Jenkin and starring British actors George MacKay and Callum Turner, in a mysterious story about a time-travelling fishing trawler.
In partnership with the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, this year’s New Vision strand also showcases five short films born from the initiative “Women in Film: Bring Your Story to Life”.
The programme supports and empowers Arab women filmmakers across the region through mentorship, financial backing and storytelling development workshops.
The selected films include Jareesh Salam by Tala Alharbi (Saudi Arabia), No Land in Sight by Eiman Alkhalifa (UAE), Cleanse the Streets by Aysha Shahaltough (Jordan), Of Burning Memories & Wounds by Suha Belal (Egypt), and Somewhere Else by Haya Alghanim (Kuwait).
Screening this year in the Red Sea’s Series programme is El’sardines from Algerian director Zoulikha Tahar, which presents a woman torn between caring for her family and a scientific adventure of which she has dreamed.
For the Families & Children line-up, Red Sea IFF will showcase a dedicated programme that brings together a series of films designed to inspire younger viewers.
The selection includes: Yukiyo Teramoto’s Japanese fantasy adventure Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales, which depicts creativity, friendship and the power of art; Ghost School from Seemab Gul, which follows a young girl on a mission to uncover the truth behind the abrupt closure of her school; and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, the latest film centring on the iconic cartoon character and his friends featuring pirates, ghosts and the deepest depths of the ocean.
Fionnuala Halligan, director of international programmes, said: “The international selections for these three key strands demonstrate the true breadth of projects on display at the Red Sea IFF.
“New Vision presents groundbreaking cinema that pushes the boundaries of narrative storytelling, and as we continue to champion women in cinema, we’re excited to have two incredible female creatives – both actors turned filmmakers – in selection this year: Juliette Binoche, with her directorial debut fresh off heading up Cannes’ jury, and Mary Bronstein with an uncomfortable and highly compelling look at motherhood. We’re looking forward to bringing these inspiring and captivating projects to the festival’s fifth edition.”
Antoine Khalife, director of Arab programmes and film classics, added: “Filmmaking from the Arab world continues to be bold, imaginative, and full of distinctive voices that challenge and inspire.
“We’re proud to spotlight these innovative projects within our 2025 New Vision and Series strands and to be showcasing the incredible breadth of talent shaping the region’s cinematic future.
“This new generation of filmmakers melds tradition with fresh perspectives creating powerful, emotionally resonant stories about family, war, memory and community which will leave a lasting impression on our audiences.”
The full line-ups are available on the Red Sea IFF website.
