The Red Sea International Film Festival, running from December 4th to 13th 2025, brings together some of the most acclaimed titles from the 2025 festival circuit in its Festival Favourites programme. The selection features nine celebrated international films making their MENA debut, alongside two Egyptian titles premiering in Saudi Arabia. Curated from standout line-ups at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, Busan, and Angoulême, the programme offers a snapshot of the year’s most talked-about cinema.

Erupcja

by Pete Ohs Charli XCX leads Pete Ohs’ ensemble drama, where lives intersect and collide at pivotal moments. On a romantic trip, Bethany hides truths from her partner Rob, and each encounter with her past triggers an emotional eruption that alters her path.

Girl

by Shu Qi

In her directorial debut, Asian cinema icon Shu Qi delivers a deeply personal coming-of-age story set in a home ruled by abuse. The Busan-winning Girl is a raw, intimate reflection on survival and self-liberation.

Kokuho

by Lee Sang-il

Japan’s box office sensation Kokuho traces five decades of friendship, art, and sacrifice in the world of kabuki. Visually stunning and emotionally rich, Lee Sang-il’s epic explores legacy, identity, and the high cost of greatness.

Kwibuka, Remember

by Jonas D’Adesky

A Belgian-Rwandan basketball player returns to Rwanda twenty years after fleeing the genocide, confronting memory, exile, and identity. Kwibuka, Remember is a moving meditation on belonging and the weight of history.

My Father's Scent

by Mohamed Siam

Over one night, a father and son face buried pain in a tense emotional confrontation. Set within a single apartment, My Father’s Scent is a poetic, deeply affecting exploration of love, anger, and reconciliation.

Saipan

by Lisa Barros D’Sa & Glenn Leyburn

Ireland’s 2002 World Cup drama unfolds with wit and tension as Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke portray the infamous clash between Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane. Saipan is a sharp, spirited ode to national pride and football fever.

Normal

by Ben Wheatley

Bob Odenkirk stars as a temporary sheriff in the deceptively quiet town of Normal. Blending dark humour, violence, and absurdity, Ben Wheatley’s thriller is a sharp, bloody satire of small-town America.

Late Shift

by Petra Volpe

A tribute to those who care for others, Late Shift follows a hospital worker through one intense day on the job. With a compelling lead performance, the film is both a gripping drama and a call for compassion.

Primavera

by Damien Michieletto

In 18th-century Venice, orphan Cecilia’s musical gift catches Vivaldi’s eye at the Ospedale della Pietà. Primavera is a lush, tragic tale of art, fate, and the price of talent.

The Settlement

by Mohamed Rashad

After his father’s death in a factory accident, Hossam is forced into silence by corruption and survival. The Settlement is a tense social thriller exposing injustice through immersive sound and haunting realism.

The Secret Agent

by Kleber Mendonça Filho

In 1970s Brazil under dictatorship, an academic on the run faces danger and deception in Recife. Winner of Cannes’ Best Director and Best Actor, The Secret Agent blends politics, suspense, and sharp satire.

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