The curtain closed Monday on Saudi Arabia’s first major film festival, four years after the kingdom lifted a decades-old ban on cinemas.
Arab and foreign celebrities descended on the week-long Red Sea International Film Festival in the western coastal city of Jeddah, where 138 films were screened from 67 countries in more than 30 languages.
On December 6, actors and actresses walked the red carpet in evening wear — a far cry from the traditional black abaya that until recently was the officially mandated dress code for women.
The festival opened a day after Jeddah hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix, also an attempt to portray Saudi Arabia in a different light.
“I mean, look, I’m just here to support my friend and be here as a member of the film industry and that’s it,” British actor Ed Westwick told AFP.
“I think the country is doing some great things, and this is one of them.”
The rise of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in 2017 has ushered in a number of reforms.
A social shift in the conservative Gulf state has included the lifting of a ban on women driving and allowing mixed-gender concerts and other events, even as a strict crackdown on dissent remains in place.
Saudi Arabia has for decades had a strict interpretation of Islam and despite the modernisation drive, social restrictions remain in place.