JEDDAH: A retrospective honoring the pioneering Egyptian film director Khairy Beshara will feature at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah next year.

The filmmaker is one of the key proponents of neo-realism in Egypt and the Arab world in the 1980s.

Beshara will attend public screenings of his films in Jeddah, alongside Egyptian film stars and artists involved in his work. The Red Sea Film Festival Foundation has remastered and restored nine of Beshara’s films including “Floater Number 70,” “The Collar and the Bracelet” and “Sweet Day, Bitter Day.” 

Part of the foundation’s remit is conserving the cinematic legacy of Arab and international cinema.

“Khairy Beshara is considered one of the main pillars of Egyptian cinema. His work has inspired countless directors of the new generation,” said festival director Mahmoud Sabbagh. “Beshara’s films portray deep human meanings and adopt bold and original techniques. With this celebration, we aim to express our gratitude toward Khairy Beshara for his incredible body of work, and to honor Egyptian cinema and its pioneering work.”

The festival will also publish a biography about Beshara.

Beshara graduated from the Cairo Higher Institute of Cinema, where he studied under the guidance of directors such as Salah Abu Seif, Youssef Chahine, and Tewfik Saleh. He made his debut film “The Tanks’ Hunter” in 1974, and directed more than 10 documentaries and short films during the 1970s.

In the 1980s, Beshara directed “Floater Number 70” which is considered the cornerstone of the neo-realist movement in Egypt. He worked alongside well-known writers such as Abdel Rahman el-Abnudi for “The Collar and the Bracelet” and Fayiz Ghaly for “Sweet Day, Bitter Day,” and collaborated with film stars such as Ahmed Zaki, Sherihan, and Faten Hamama.

The inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival takes place next year between March 12-21.