Five films backed by the Red Sea Film Foundation—through the Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Souk—have been selected across key sections of the 79th Locarno Film Festival, running August 5–15 in Switzerland. The lineup, which festival director Giona A. Nazzaro described as “curated diversity,” showcases 233 works overall.
Vietnam’s Lê Bảo lands in the prestigious Concorso Internazionale with Thính Giác (Hearing), a co-production between Vietnam, Singapore, Norway, and France. The film joins a main competition that includes new works from Hong Sang-soo, Basil Da Cunha, and Denis Côté.
Two titles have been selected for the Open Doors Screenings, a section dedicated to African cinema. Derhwa Kasunzu’s Catcher (Wrestlers) and Suzannah Mirghani’s Cotton Queen—widely recognized as the first narrative feature film directed by a female Sudanese director—will both screen in the programme. Open Doors Screenings features eight features and five shorts from African talents.
Ghana’s Amartei Armar will present Ego Reach We All (Our Time Will Come) in the Filmmakers of the Present section, supported by both the Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Souk. He is the sole African representative in that competition. Palestinian-Jordanian filmmaker Asmahan Bkerat’s Concrete Land, a documentary following a three-generational Bedouin family on the outskirts of Amman, has been selected for Semaine de la Critique, also backed by the Red Sea Souk.
The Red Sea Film Foundation’s growing presence on the international festival circuit continues to amplify voices from the Arab world and Africa, with this Locarno selection marking a significant milestone for the region’s filmmakers.
TunisianMonitorNews
