The second edition of the event in Jeddah boasted an eye-popping — and somewhat eclectic — array of names on the red carpet for the opening ceremony and curtain-raising film 'What's Love Got to Do With It?'
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Inside at the opening ceremony, under a vast chandelier in the hotel’s main auditorium, festival CEO Mohammed Al Turki presented the event’s honorary awards to Ritchie, Khan and Yousra. Meanwhile, Oliver Stone — as head of the jury — came to the stage, explaining that he thought Saudi Arabia was misrepresented by much of the world, adding that he thought “people who judge it too harshly should come to visit and see if for themselves.
Others were equally enthused, with Ritchie saying it felt “great to encourage cultural collaboration” in a country where its fledgling film industry is only just emerging. Ritchie is among those giving special talks over the coming days, alongside Spike Lee, Jackie Chan, Sharon Stone, Labaki, Guadagnino, Garcia and Noé.What’s Love Got to Do With It?
, which first bowed in Toronto. “I see the enterprise and the passion. Somewhere the winds need to change. For too long, they have come from West to East. It needs to rise again from the desert sands.” Following the screening, adding more star power to a night that really didn’t need much more, Bruno Mars performed a lengthy live set at the festival opening party to hundreds of ecstatic revelers.
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