City Jeddah Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton received an apology from team prinicipal Toto Wolff after a strategy error robbed the Briton of a first race victory of the season at the Dutch Grand Prix. The seven-time champion unleashed a tirade of expletives at his team after being passed by Max Verstappen, and then team-mate George Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, following the safety car restart before coming home in fourth. Hamilton's race engineer Peter Bennington apologised to Hamilton for the events that led to the Briton coming home in fourth place and promised to review the incidents later in the day.

Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited rematch against Oleksandr Usyk takes place this evening with the British heavyweight out to reclaim his titles.

With Anthony Joshua hoping to avenge his September defeat by Oleksandry Usyk in their rematch later this month, David Haye has said that Joshua must bring more physicality to the point where he may risk disqualification.

Joe Biden pushed back against criticism of his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, telling reporters that he raised the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi “at the top” of their meeting.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAnthology film “Quareer,” by five young female Saudi directors, has emerged as the big winner at the eighth edition of the Saudi Film Festival, which is the country’s oldest film event. “Quareer” consists of five segments depicting women taking risks to carve out their own spaces, and explores themes of abandonment, neglect, control, abuse and shame in Saudi’s now changing conservative society. The film scored five prizes in total at the festival, including the Golden Palm Tree for best film and the prize for best director(s), which collectively went to filmmakers Ragheed Al Nahdi, Norah Almowald, Ruba Khafagy, Fatma Alhazmi and Noor Alameer.Additionally, “Quareer,” which had premiered last December at Saudi’s Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, also scored awards for best cinematography, best script and best score.

Saudi Arabia has taken another step in its push to become a movie production hub by launching its long-awaited 40% cash rebate to grow the local economy.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentLola Arabia and Dubai’s Charisma Group are readying Agustí Villaronga’s “Arabian Aroma” and Pau Miró’s “Lost Symphony,” the first two titles in a 12-pic production alliance unveiled during the Berlin. FestivalBoth movies are in pre-production, budgeted around $6 million and feature women “who passionately set themselves on a mission,” the partners announced.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentSaudi Arabian filmmaker, actress and activist Fatima Al-Banawi (“Barakah Meets Barakah”) is set to make her feature film directorial debut with “Basma,” a bold drama that will tackle the theme of mental illness in her country.The pic, which she also wrote, is set to start shooting in Jeddah in October.Besides writing and directing “Basma,” Al Banawi will be its titular star, playing the 26-year-old daughter of a man who suffers from paranoid delusions. Upon returning from the U.S.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentVox Cinemas, the highest-grossing exhibitor in West Asia, where it operates more than 600 screens, will focus on diversification next, while also continuing its geographical expansion plan, says Ignace Lahoud, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure (MAF), Entertainment and Cinemas, which operates Vox.“In the last two or three years, most of our growth has been focused on building and opening cinemas in Saudi Arabia. We intend to continue expanding there, although probably not at the same pace.”Several analysts, including PwC, see Saudi as becoming a billion-dollar movie market.Variety is honoring Vox with its Achievement in Intl.

Sergio Perez will start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on pole position but it was Lewis Hamilton’s shock exit in Q1 and Mick Schumacher’s horror crash that will dominate headlines. As darkness fell and the lights lit up the Jeddah Corniche Circuit one of the big question ahead of qualifying was would Mercedes make it through to Q3. Hamilton didn’t even make it out of Q1.

Lewis Hamilton and Alex Albon narrowly avoided a scary crash during Friday's second practice session ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Albon only returned to F1 at the start of the season after being dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2020. Mercedes' Hamilton struggled during the first practice session on Friday and could only clock the ninth fastest time.

Jamie Lang The Red Sea Film Festival has announced that its second edition will run Dec. 1-10 this year, after its 2021 inaugural event saw nearly 140 films from 67 countries in 34 languages screen for more than 30,000 ticket holders and over 3,100 accredited industry guests.

Anna Marie de la Fuente International sales, distribution and production company Axxon Media has picked up a troika of films ahead of Berlinale. Leading the pack is Askar Uzabayev’s “Happiness” (“Bakhyt”) from Kazakhstan, which world premieres in the festival’s Panorama section.Making its market debut at the EFM is Algeria-set “Soula,” written and directed by Salah Issaad, a contender at the Red Sea Festival in Jeddah last December.The third film is Amalric Gérard’s French burlesque comedy “Public Enemy No.

Afternoon all, it’s nearly Xmas but we’re not slowing down. Here’s Max Goldbart with your weekly dose of international news and analysis from the International Insider. To get this sent to your inbox every Friday, sign up here.

Saudi Arabia’s nascent film industry is in the spotlight this week thanks to the inaugural edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, which runs until December 15.

I’m more than halfway into my stay in Saudi Arabia for the Red Sea International Film Festival and what is becoming more apparent with each day that passes is that what this first-time event lacks in experience and organization, it makes up for in ambition.

Mega-budget epic Desert Warrior, starring Anthony Mackie and Aiysha Hart, has been a big talking point here in Jeddah this week as it nears wrapping production in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk. The $150M 7th Century-set action title marks not only the biggest production to shoot in the KSA since it lifted its ban on cinemas four years ago but it also represents a major collaboration between creative and financial models in the region and Hollywood talent.

Red Sea Film Festival, Saudi Arabia’s first international film event, gets underway, it’s become clear that the artistic director of the fest’s milestone first edition won’t be in charge of programming the second one.Edouard Waintrop, a former Cannes Directors’ Fortnight chief, was conspicuously absent Monday at the opening night gala at the Vox Cinemas multiplex in Jeddah’s historic Al Balad district.Instead of being on the star-studded red carpet, Waintrop was at his home in Spain suffering

Vox Cinemas, the Middle East’s largest exhibition chain, has unveiled an ambitious plan to produce 25 Arabic movies in the next five years. The announcement was made at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, where Vox Cinemas is the exclusive cinema partner.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been accused of 'playing dumb' in Sunday's frantic Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Both drivers crashed during the race in Jeddah.

A film festival is about more than just the films and the festival center. It is about the location, the journey, the experience. Here on Deadline we’ll be bringing you updates on what it’s like to be on the ground at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival, Saudi Arabia’s first ever film festival. 

LIVE – Updated at 18:54Lewis Hamilton claimed a crucial pole position for this evening’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen as the F1 title race took another twist. The Red Bull driver was poised to leapfrog his Mercedes rival before a stunning crash confirmed the seven-time word champion at the front of the grid in what promises to be a historic race in Jeddah.

Lewis Hamilton took an incredible victory in an action-packed inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to draw level with Max Verstappen in the world championship standings heading into next weekend’s final race of the year.

held on to take his fifth pole of the season in Jeddah after Max Verstappen hit the wall at the final corner on his last lap in Q3, having looked set to grab top spot at the finish.  The crash meant Verstappen will start the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP from third place behind a Mercedes front row lockout with Hamilton on pole from team-mate Valtteri Bottas, but Hamilton remains wary of Red Bull’s pace this weekend.

Charles Leclerc was fortunate to avoid any injury at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Friday evening. Leclerc suffered a big shunt into the wall in FP2 and the 24-year-old has issued a statement to apologise to his team for the mishap.

LIVE – Updated at 07:47It’s almost here, the penultimate F1 race in the calendar, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Today will provide an insight into how Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen get on at Jeddah’s Corniche Circuit.

Lewis Hamilton has spoken of his discomfort surrounding racing in Saudi Arabia, adding he believes he is now "duty-bound" to continue to raise awareness for certain issues, including women and LGBTQ+ rights in such countries. The event has faced criticism from many organisations, and on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch expressed concern to Formula One about what they felt was "a deliberate strategy to deflect attention from its pervasive human rights abuses" by holding a race in Jeddah.

LIVE – Updated at 17:19Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have battled it out all season and it all comes down to the final two races of the Formula 1 season with the Red Bull star hoping to finish the job in Saudi Arabia but likely aware enough to know it will rumble on to the finale in Abu Dhabi. In the most exciting F1 season for years, Jeddah is set to showcase more thrills and spills in both the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship.