The Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia reveals the list of classic films for 2025
The Red Sea Film Festival is set to make cinematic history for Saudi Arabia in its next edition as it hosts the country’s first silent film screening with live musical accompaniment.
UK silent film music specialist Neil Brand will provide live accompaniment to three silent slapstick short films from Buster Keaton (One week), Charlie Chaplin (migrant(and Laurel and Hardy)Freedom).
The live music screening comes as Saudi Arabia continues to grow its film culture and industry following the lifting of a 35-year-old cinema ban in 2017.
It was announced as part of the Classic Film Treasures platform that focuses on classic films, which also includes two classic Arab films and three international feature films.
The collection also features the international premiere of the recent 4K restoration by the National Film Archive of India of Muzaffar Ali’s 1981 musical drama Umrao jan; Plus Alfred Hitchcock’s 1945 thriller surprising And Luc Besson’s 1988 free-diving epic Big blueWhich is shown for the first time on the big screen in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Among the Arab classics included in the collection is a film by Egyptian director Ahmed Badrakhan Aida (1942) and Song of hope (1937) starring the legendary Egyptian actress Umm Kulthum.
Faisal Baltior, CEO of the Red Sea Film Institute, said: “This year’s collection of treasures highlights the true mythology of film, showcasing moments and performances that have been immortalized in the cinematic canon and brought back to life for local and international audiences.”
“All of the selected films have achieved new heights in their original versions, and it is a special honor to play a role in the restoration of two of Umm Kulthum’s most distinguished performances, as part of our ongoing commitment to bringing the best in cinema to Saudi Arabia.”
The fifth edition of the Red Sea Film Festival runs from December 4 to 13, and the program is scheduled to be revealed in early November.