The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) has appointed Edouard Waintrop as its artistic director ahead of the inaugural event in November 2021.
Commenting on his appointment, Waintrop said: “It is a great privilege and honor to be leading the Red Sea International Film Festival. This new and great festival will celebrate all aspects of cinema, from the creatives telling stories to the technical craftspeople putting imaginative ideas onto the big screen, celebrating filmmaking as a force for positive change. The festival is set to reflect that metamorphosis and to be the place for the leaders and visionaries of Arab cinema, both established and emerging, to meet, celebrate successes and look forward to a bright future.”
Waintrop was born in Paris in 1952. He is a well-known critic, programmer, cinema manager and festival curator.
He joins the RSIFF after two years as president of a commission helping and financing the development of feature films, as part of the Center national du cinema, Paris, and as the programmer of the international section at the Bordeaux International Independent Film Festival.
From 2012–2018, he was the artistic director of the Directors’ Fortnight, an independent program that runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival, founded in 1969 by the French Directors’ Guild.
During his tenure, he was credited with revamping the event, elevating its profile, inviting acclaimed directors, championing emerging names and overseeing the 50th anniversary event.
The RSIFF brings the best in Arab and World cinema to the Kingdom. It showcases exciting new films on the Saudi big screen, alongside retrospective programs celebrating the masters of cinema, the latest Saudi films as well as feature and short film competitions.