Prince Naseem’s biographical film “The Giant” opens the Red Sea Film Festival

The fifth edition of the Red Sea Film Festival opens on December 4 with “The Giant” by director Rawan Athal, which tells the story of British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed. The screening will be the first showing of the film in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The film depicts the relationship between Hamed, played by Egyptian-British actor Amir El Masry, and his Irish boxing coach Brendan Ingle, played by Pierce Brosnan. It charts the rags-to-riches story of underdog Nas from his humble beginnings in Sheffield until he became a world champion. Sylvester Stallone is one of the film’s executive producers.

Thanks to his dominance in the sport, Naseem confronted the hateful racism and Islamophobia that swept Britain in the 1980s and 1990s to become a global sporting icon.

The film explores the unexpected and tender relationship between Nas and Engel, and the instrumental role Engel played in Nas’ path to success.

Faisal Baltior, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said: “Our selection of ‘Giant’ as the opening film for the fifth session embodies an artistic celebration of regional talents that have established their presence on the global cinema scene. Through the story of an international Arab boxing champion, the film depicts a journey of perseverance that inspires generations and reflects pride in identity. It also highlights the growing presence of Arab stars in international productions alongside international names, which reaffirms that Arab cinema today stands as a powerful force in cinema.” Global landscape.

The film is financed by AGC Studios and Pundit Media Capital. Producers are Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions, Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions, and Stuart Ford, Chairman and CEO of AGC Studios.