Michael Caine, Sigourney Weaver and Juliette Binoche Among Red Sea Film Festival Honorees

The 2025 Red Sea Film Festival, which kicks off in Jeddah on Thursday, has started to unveil its lineup of honorees.

Never ones to shirk away from pulling star power, the Saudi Arabian festival’s “first wave” of names includes screen icons from the U.K., U.S. and France in Michael Caine, Sigourney Weaver and Juliette Binoche. Meanwhile, French-Algerian filmmaker Rachid Bouchareb and Hong Kong action cinema legend Stanley Tong are also being honored.

Binoche is also set to appear as part of the Kering | Women in Motion program, which includes the initiative’s first panel discussion held at the Red Sea festival this year. Launched in 2015 in Cannes, Kering | Women in Motion aims to highlight the talent and diversity of women, both in front of and behind the camera.

Alongside Binoche, the panel will also include Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen and Palestinian-American actor and filmmaker Cherien Dabis, and will be moderated by the Red Sea’s director of international programs, Finn Halligan.

“Each of this year’s Red Sea Honourees represents the very best of global film – artists whose work has inspired audiences around the world and added to the fabric of cinematic culture,” said Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “We’re looking forward to celebrating their extraordinary contributions during our fifth edition of the festival this year and fostering conversations that will offer meaningful insight and inspiration to our filmmakers, our audiences, and the region’s rapidly evolving film community.”

The Red Sea yesterday revealed some of the names taking part in In Conversation sessions this year, with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Adrien Brody and Sean Baker currently confirmed.