Michael Caine Shines at the Opening of Saudi Arabia’s Fifth Red Sea Film Festival
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival opened its fifth edition this evening with the premiere of Rowan Athale’s biopic Giant, featuring Amir El-Masry in the role of boxing champion Prince Naseem Hamed.
While co-star Pierce Brosnan, who portrays Hamed’s Irish trainer Brendan Ingle, was unable to attend the event in Jeddah, numerous other stars graced the red carpet.
Honored at the ceremony were Oscar-winning actors Michael Caine and Juliette Binoche, alongside director Rachid Bouchareb and Stanley Tong, all of whom received awards on stage.
Among the attendees were Kirsten Dunst, Queen Latifah, Jessica Alba, and Ana de Armas. Jury president Sean Baker was joined by jury members Riz Ahmed, Naomie Harris, Nadine Labaki, and Olga Kurylenko, with Hamed also present in the audience.
Michael Caine, appearing on stage in a wheelchair, was accompanied by his three grandchildren. Vin Diesel delivered an honorary speech and presented Caine with his award, to enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Thanking the attendees, Caine humorously remarked, “Thank you for the welcome. My name is Michael Caine.” He added, “It’s not my real name but it’s a realistic name. It’s the one that made all the money. I was born a cockney in London, which is very poor working class, and I grew up to be what I am which is, well, I am not multiple rich, but I’ve got enough money for an evening out, even an evening in… I’ve been married for 52 years.”
Acknowledging his grandchildren, Caine emphasized the importance of family, stating, “I have loads of photographs but none are of any of the movies I am in, it’s just family, because that’s my life.”
Reflecting on his career, he said, “I’m here to get an award which doesn’t surprise me. I’ve won two Oscars—one with a cockney accent, and one with an American accent—so I’m not really worried about it.”
Caine expressed his astonishment at receiving recognition from the Red Sea Film Festival, remarking, “I’ve seen it on the television but I never thought I would win anything here and I’ve won one… I want to thank you for the surprise, because you never get surprises, although you may get a couple of shocks.”
Beyond the celebrity accolades, the evening spotlighted the festival’s evolution as it celebrated its fifth anniversary. The ceremony, held at the Red Sea Film Foundation’s new headquarters in a burgeoning cultural quarter, stood in contrast to the inaugural edition in 2021, which took place in a makeshift theater. The foundation’s commitment to nurturing emerging directors has also expanded significantly.
“Over the past five years, the Red Sea Film Foundation has quietly but surely built what many once thought was impossible,” said Jomana R. Alrashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “It’s more than just a foundation and more than a festival but rather an ecosystem where filmmakers from across the three continents are not only supported but empowered to lead,” she added.
