Honors for and on-stage appearances by and Egyptian star Mona Zaki ( , , , ), ‘s new movie as a director, and a biopic about Robbie Williams will be part of this year’s (RSIFF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, organizers said on Monday. They also unveiled the competition lineup for the fest’s fourth edition. Organizers said that the overall lineup features 49 world and premieres, also highlighting that six female filmmakers will be featured in the competition program.
Among the 15 competition titles announced are Reema Kagti’s , which bowed at the , and , which had its world premiere at the where it won the . The RSIFF on Monday also added several galas to its lineup, plus unveiled its program. The opening night gala screening will be Karim Shenawi’s .
It tells “the story of an 11-year-old Nubian albino with a beautiful voice who faces adversity due to his unique appearance,” according to a synopsis. “Abandoned by his father and bullied by his peers, he dreams of following in the footsteps of his idol, singer and actor Mohamed Mounir. When he gets a chance to audition for , Daye and his family embark on a perilous journey from Aswan to Cairo.
” Meanwhile, will receive an awards night gala screening in Jeddah, and the from director Michael Gracey will be featured as the closing night gala screening. picked 12 movies for its Festival Favorites selection of standouts from the fest circuit, including , an about two women who form an unlikely alliance directed by Sandhya .
