Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux confessed to being “very impressed” by Red Sea International Film Festival, on his second visit to the
Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux confessed to being “very impressed” by Red Sea International Film Festival, on his second visit to the event.
“We come here to see you. We come to see a different point of view,” said Fremaux to the audience, in a discussion with Red Sea director of international programming Kaleem Aftab on Saturday titled ‘Cinefilomania’, as part of the Souk industry programme.
“There are a lot of European people here, because it is becoming important,” said Fremaux. “Important for the business, for the market; also for the quality of the selection. More and more, you will have real premieres.”
Fremaux recommended that Red Sea lean in to its status as a festival for regional cinema – as events like Busan and Tokyo do for films from Southeast Asia. “Here is the place of Arab cinema, African cinema, which is important,” said Fremaux.
The French executive has been general delegate at Cannes since 2007, and was artistic delegate before that from 2001. He said his enthusiasm for his work is still there; but also that he will know when it is time to go. “One day it will be my destiny to do a bad selection,” said Fremaux. “If I do a second bad selection the next year, I will leave. I will say I am not connected anymore with the cinema of my times.”
Spike Lee is president of the Red Sea: Competition jury in Jeddah this year, having headed the Cannes Competition jury in 2021. “He was great… a bit manipulative, but very democratic,” said Fremaux. “Everyone felt it was possible to spontaneously give their opinions about the film.”
The two recent challengers of cinema have been Covid and “platforms, internet,” according to Fremaux. “I don’t think cinema is dying; there is something in the air about a great cinema comeback,” said Fremaux, citing the success of Cannes Competition title The Substance. “It’s now a $100m campaign, going to the Academy Awards. You know why? Because I have good taste!” he joked.
Lumière, Le Cinéma, a documentary directed by Fremaux collating works by the Lumière brothers from the early days of the medium, will have its second festival screening on Wednesday in the Culture Square (cinema 5).
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