Red Sea Film Festival Cancels Tuesday Events After Rain Hits Jeddah

The Red Sea International Film Festival closed all events on Tuesday after heavy rain and thunderstorms swept through Jeddah, organisers announced. Screenings, public events and “In Conversation” talks scheduled for the day have been cancelled in the interest of safety.

The decision came while Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky was speaking onstage at Culture Square. His appearance — intended as one of Tuesday’s headline events — became the final public engagement of the day. A planned session with British actor Riz Ahmed, who sits on this year’s festival jury, was also cancelled.

Festival organisers said in a statement that all venues, including Culture Square and the Red Sea Souk, will remain closed for the rest of the day. They promised refunds for ticket-holders whose screenings were cancelled, and advised visitors to stay updated via the festival’s official channels and app.

Now in its fifth edition, the festival — themed “For the Love of Cinema” — had lined up more than 100 films from across the Arab world, Asia and Africa, alongside panels, industry events and special screenings.