The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is set to conclude its third edition with a closing-night gala screening on Dec. 7 of Ferrari, the highly anticipated biopic from Michael Mann. The film stars Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, and Patrick Dempsey, and has been making waves in the international film circuit.
In addition to Ferrari, the International Spectacular program at the festival will showcase a diverse selection of films from acclaimed auteurs and international filmmaking icons. These films, which are being screened for the first time in the Arab world, have been generating significant buzz and excitement. The lineup includes Sofia Coppola’s biopic Priscilla, Ava Duvernay’s Origin, John Woo’s Silent Night, Léa Domenach’s Bernadette (The President’s Wife) featuring Catherine Deneuve, Aardman’s Sam Fell-directed Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and Yann Mounir Demange’s short film Dammi, starring Riz Ahmed. The public closing film will be iconic Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron.
Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, expressed his enthusiasm for Ferrari, stating that the film has been important to the festival as it was supported by the Red Sea International Film Financing. This platform aims to champion acclaimed storytellers and promote cultural exchange. Al-Turki praised Michael Mann’s powerful film for showcasing true craftsmanship and empathy for the ambitious genius behind one of the world’s most desired works of design.
Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming for the festival, also shared his excitement about Ferrari, describing the film as an exhilarating story about passion, love, and business. Aftab emphasized that the visually rich film serves as the perfect closing piece for both this year’s festival and the International Strand, which has gathered the most exciting, groundbreaking, and moving features from this year’s festival circuit.
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The plot of Ferrari is set in the summer of 1957, focusing on the life of former Formula 1 racer Enzo Ferrari, who faces a crisis as bankruptcy threatens the factory he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing. The loss of their son, Dino, shatters their volatile marriage, leading Ferrari to struggle with acknowledging his son Piero with Lina Lardi. Meanwhile, his drivers’ passions to win push them to the edge as they participate in the treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.
The screenplay for Ferrari was written by Troy Kennedy Martin and is based on the 1991 biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine by motorsport journalist Brock Yates.
The Red Sea International Film Festival has emerged as a significant platform for showcasing international cinema. The festival not only celebrates acclaimed films from around the globe but also provides a forum for cultural exchange and collaboration. The inclusion of highly anticipated and talked about films in the lineup demonstrates the festival’s commitment to presenting diverse and impactful storytelling to its audience.
As the festival approaches its conclusion, the anticipation for the closing-night gala screening of Ferrari continues to grow, setting the stage for a remarkable end to the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival.
