Red Sea Film Festival Opens with Premiere of Arab Fantasy Epic 'HWJN

Director Yasir Al-Yasiri Hopes Film Will Pioneer Fantasy Genre in Saudi Arabia

The Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia opened with the world premiere of Yasir Al-Yasiri’s fantasy epic 'HWJN', marking the first time an Arab film has opened the festival.
'HWJN' is based on the novel by Ibraheem Abbas and is a pioneering combination of Western sci-fi tropes and Arabic culture and folklore.
The festival attracted a host of international stars including Johnny Depp, Will Smith, and Sharon Stone.
Yasir Al-Yasiri hopes 'HWJN' will bridge the gap for fantasy films in Saudi Arabia, a genre that is still a novelty within the Arab film industry.
The Red Sea Film Festival runs from November 30 to December 9.